Searching for a Happy Ending: Act I The Mummy
by PurpleHiraikotsuRider
Summary: A legend we know, but not as we know it. An unwritten side, unseen. Along with the discovery of the Manacle is the discover of a curly-haired wild child, whose future is very much intertwined with Alex'...
1. The Summoning

Okay, so I'm trying something different, here. I used to love this show when I was little, and back then I came up with my own characters and sideplot that mixed with it. Here is my version of The Mummy: the animated series. Every episode has been rewritten (except two that I skipped because I was lazy), as well as a mini-novel to finish it off, and then the story moves to another cartoon series which I may or may not upload separately. If you don't like this story, please don't comment. I only uploaded this for the entertainment of others.

Disclaimer: each character is the property of their respective owners. I make no money from this series.

Yue and Jena, however, do belong to me ^_^

**The Summoning**

Scotland

"And it's Alex O'Connell soaring into the lead of the Olympic bobsled!"

The fearless 11-year old was grinning ear-to-ear as he slid on his rear down the wide stone banister in the ancient Scottish castle, his arms out to balance himself as he neared the bottom.

"Uh-oh; race over." The end of the banister was higher than the bit he was sitting on, so he put his feet down and leaped head first over it. Flying head-over-heels through the air, he was just thinking that landing might actually hurt a little when a tall and muscular blond American man caught him deftly.

"Gotcha, Sport."

"Hey, Dad. Nice catch."

The pair turned towards the thin woman with auburn hair, who was bent over the rubble to a stone doorway. She lifted her head at their approach long enough to say in her English accent, "Alex, have I ever mentioned how I feel about bobsledding down 12th century banisters?" before resuming her task of searching through the stones for anything worth rescuing.

"Come on, Mom. We _are_ on vacation, remember?"

Evy chuckled. "Point taken. I shouldn't be much longer."

"Yeah, that's what you said two hours ago."

"I know. Time flies when you're having fun." Lifting another few stones and examining them thoroughly, it was another half hour before she lifted a cracked bowl into their air. "Found it!"

Alex did not look impressed. "We missed a day at the beach for an old salad bowl?" the redhead asked skeptically.

"This is an _exquisite _example of Moorish pottery, young man."

"And… what was it used for?" her husband asked.

"Well, salads mostly," she admitted somewhat sheepishly.

"Come on, Mom, there's gotta be something more exciting around this place." Grunting as he opened a wooden door nearby, he gave an exclamation as a swarm of bats flew out. "Whoa!" Stepping backwards to avoid them, the boy fell onto a boulder which skidded into one of the supporting columns behind him. The column came crashing down on the one beside it, giving a domino effect all around the room. The three of them began sprinting out of the castle, which was rapidly falling down, but Evy tripped on a stone and her prized bowl flew into the air. Rick threw himself forward and barely caught it before it smashed and, holding it securely in one arm, helped his wife escape the old ruins. Outside, their troublemaking son smiled guiltily.

"Oops?" he offered feebly.

"You know the way you were grounded until you're thirteen?"

"Yeah," he said, not liking the sound of that.

"You're grounded until you're fifteen."

Egypt

Jena clutched her bag tightly as she ran through the village, beads of perspiration running down her pale skin. Her wavy silver-blue hair was damp and clung to her scalp in her heat, and her bare feet pounded on the sandy road as she panted heavily. A tall man – the one she was running from – appeared in front of her in an instant. She gave a cry and skidded on the ground, stopping in front of him. Making to run off again, she was stopped by his vice-like hand grasping her shoulder.

"Let me go!" she struggled violently, catching handfuls of his straight, knee-length silver hair as he wrapped his arms around her small form.

"I told you to _stay out of this country_," he said warningly.

"Let me go!" kicking and scratching, she did all she could to break free of him. It was all in vain.

"Jena, stop fighting and listen to me!"

"No, I won't!"

"JENA!" He was angry now, and she knew that was bad. The sand at her feet opened and swallowed her up to her ankles, holding her tightly. He released her and stepped back, and she overbalanced and fell to her hands which were also caught.

Taking her face in his pale hand, he forced her to look at him.

"Jena, this place is _dangerous_," he said forcefully. Glaring, she tried to bite his fingers.

"You always say that but you never tell me why!" the 11-year-old replied angrily. "And anyway, Laith is training here so it can't be that bad!"

"Laith is in a hidden place," Yue answered. "You, out in the open and blissfully unaware of the danger, are in constant peril."

"Well if you would _tell _me then – "

"No, Jena. We've been over this before. It is a good thing that you remember nothing of it."

"You may think that, but I have to find out for myself," she retorted. "You agreed to let me travel the world in search of something that might help me remember, but you have to leave me alone and let me look by myself."

"That I did. But _not this country_." Flicking his hand, the sand restraining her collapsed and she pulled herself free. He reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder, but she darted away.

"Now I know I'm looking in the right place. Thanks, Papa!" Waving, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and ran into the village.

"Jena…" Yue stared after her, knowing she inherited his stubborn nature. "I'm only trying to protect you. We all could have died, escaping from that which you have no memory."

London, British Museum of Antiquities

"Wow," Alex said, his voice echoing in the ancient helmet he was trying on. "How did anyone blow their noses in these things?" Taking off the helmet, he set it back on its stand and walked up to join his parents who were taking to the curator. He was a pompous old Englishman who was delighted with the Moorish salad bowl they had retrieved from the castle in Scotland.

"The museum is in your debt again, Mrs. O'Connell," Fenwick said. "Your talents are being squandered here in London. You should be out on the field full-time, discovering other ancient treasures. As you did with our prized _Book of the Dead_."

A small, weasel-looking man walked up, glaring daggers at Evy.

"Ah, Colin," the curator seemed pleased once again. "You're just in time to hear the good news. Evy, I'm promoting you to Chief Archeologist."

"You are?!" exclaimed both Evy and the new arrival.

"All right, Mom," Alex grinned.

"Nice work, Evy," Rick congratulated.

"That job was supposed to be _mine_," Colin said angrily. "Just because Miss. Perfect _tripped_ over the Book of the Dead doesn't mean she gets my job!" he stormed off childishly.

"I thought he took it quite well," Rick said, dismissing the man.

"I don't know what to say," Evy said, still amazed.

"Say 'yes', and you and your family will leave for Egypt immediately," the curator replied, still smiling jovially. "There's a major excavation taking place at the Temple of Hamunaptra. I want you to oversee it."

Rick laughed. "So much for taking it easy for a while."

"Alex?" Evy asked.

"Well, I hate to miss school…" the boy spoke slowly, dusting off his navy uniform. "But if I have to."

"Be at the airfield tomorrow at seven am. Your new transportation will be waiting for you."

And bright and early the next morning, they were looking at a brand new zeppelin in admiration.

"It's called The Zephyr," Evy said.

"This is how to travel," Rick said approvingly. "In the air… no one for Alex to annoy… how much trouble can he get into at 10,000 feet?"

Excitedly running up to the blimp, his son asked, "Can I fly it?"

Evy grinned and as they two of them followed the boy, said to her husband, "You'd better take that back."

Steam sprang from the engines as they prepared to take off, but before they were even five feet off the ground a motor car sped onto the airfield with a panicky red-haired man driving it. He waved anxiously at the family who were leaving.

"Hey, it's Uncle Jonathan," Alex was the first one to see him.

"Jonathan?" both his parents echoed, one with confusion and the other with dread.

"Is he coming with us?" Alex asked excitedly.

The two adults exchanged a brief glance, and his mother replied, "Um… I don't think so, Alex. You see, Uncle Jonathan has a way of being…" she trailed off, unable to think of a way to explain her older brother to her son.

"An irresponsible pain in the butt?" he finished.

"Well put."

"Besides," Rick added. "We have enough hot air on board already."

Another car sped up to Jonathan's, and an angry man hung out the window. "Carnahan, you owe me big money!" he yelled.

Jonathan looked anxiously up at the zeppelin where his sister was. "Oh, Evy," he called apprehensively, clutching his many suitcases as the car stopped and the men ran out. After a moment the Zephyr's hatch opened and a rope ladder fell out. Running after it and grasping it, his foes forced him to drop all but one of his cases as the rope was hauled back into its pouch.

"Don't thank _me_," Rick said as he helped his brother-in-law into the blimp. "It was your sister's idea."

The Zephyr flew smoothly through the air towards Egypt, steered by the confident hands of Rick. Alex stood admiring his reflection in the glass as he said, "I've got to be the luckiest kid in the world. No school! I can stay up late. I get to travel the world in a blimp and see…" his mother held a book in front of him, blocking his view of the countryside. His tone changed. "Algebra?"

"Plus beginning biology, world history and several languages," Evy finished. "All your favorites. This way you won't have to miss out on any of your homework."

"Lesson number one," Jonathan said from where he was fixing the disrupted clothes in his remaining suitcase. "When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is."

Alex sighed and flopped onto the seat beside his uncle.

Egypt

Jena tried to walk casually, tried to not hold her bag too tightly. A voice made her jump out of her skin.

"Hey, kid!"

She didn't turn back. Breaking into a run, she clutched her treasure and sprinted between the stalls at the crowded market. A while later, when she thought she had lost him, she grinned in triumph and retrieved the melon from her bag. Taking out a hand knife, she split it in pieces and hungrily started eating the juicy flesh as if she hadn't eaten in weeks. Although it had only been a few days, it certainly felt longer.

"There you are!" It was the man she had stolen the fruit from. "Little wench!"

Looking up fearfully, Jena quickly backed away between the two buildings.

"What do you think you're doing, huh?" The burly man took another step closer, and suddenly her stomach growled loudly. He suddenly saw the thinness of her face, the knife in her hand, and the sugary juice smeared all over her mouth. "Kid, haven't you got parents who'll buy you food?"

She shook her head slowly, still wary of him.

"Where are you staying at night?"

She shrugged one shoulder.

The man sighed. "Come on, kid. My brother has a spare room you can stay in. He can find you a nice family to take care of you. Would you like that?"

Jena saw his guard lower and suddenly darted through his long arms. He somehow managed to grasp her wrist, but she pried his fingers apart with her other hand and a determined look on her face. She was easily stronger than him.

"What is the problem here?"

She looked up and saw Yue staring stoically at the pair. The man spoke. "This girl stole a couple of melons from me."

"What happened to the money I gave you?"

Jena looked at the ground, too ashamed to tell him she had given it to a child who looked like he hadn't eaten in months. "A boy knocked me down and stole it. But he was strong, Papa!"

Yue sighed and threw a few coins at the man before dragging his daughter away. Giving her another bag of money, he said, "If I have to keep coming to your aid, I will bring you home again. Understand?"

Accepting the money, Jena humbly said, "Yes, Papa."

#~#~#

"…And two shifts of over 100 diggers, archeologists, cartographers. They've moved over ten tons of earth already," Evy said to her family as they walked through the dig site at Hamunaptra. "Of course that's nothing compared to the tens of thousands of people it took to build this temple in the first place. Impressive, isn't it?"

Her older brother sighed and wiped sweat off his forehead. "I don't suppose there's a lemonade stand anywhere about?" At his sister's glare he casually added, "Just asking."

As the four walked into the reopened passageway into the temple, Rick commented, "You gotta love what they've done to the place," as he swept his flaming torch around the sandy stones. Some loose rocks fell from the ceiling and Jonathan jumped sharply to the side to avoid them. The force that he landed on a weak part of the floor made the ground break open, and he fell into the level below with a thud and a storm of sand and dust.

"Uncle Jonathan!" Alex cried. "You okay?"

He groaned, rubbing his backside. "Fortunately for me, this _stone floor _broke my fall."

"Jonathan," Evy said excitedly, swinging her lantern around the chamber her brother had inadvertently happened upon. "You've discovered the temple vault!"

"I did?" Looking around, he quickly added. "Well, of course I did."

Rick untied a rope from around his waist and quickly secured it to a more stable boulder. Within five minutes, the other three were at the same level as Jonathan, exploring the vault thoroughly.

"C'mere, Alex," Rick said, proceeding to show his son how to properly dust off fragile artifacts from the sand. Jonathan took a piece of cloth from his not-so-white jacket and began cleaning his expensive shoes with it. Something on the ground gleamed in the light of Rick's torch and Evy's lantern, and he dug an old bracelet out of the sand. It was a funky thing that looked like a shackle, but he suspected it was gold. He brought it over to the light to examine it better.

"Well, a bit on the gaudy side, but – "

"Jonathan!" Evy exclaimed, taking it and dusting the sand off it to see the pattern. "That's the Manacle of Osiris!" Rick and Alex grouped around to get a better look at it. "According to Egyptian mythology, this Manacle was created by Osiris, king of the underworld, to vanquish his foes on earth. It's rumored to have the power to move mountains, blot out the sun, set the seas aflame, and resurrect the dead."

"A Swiss army knife has nothin' on this thing," Rick grinned, examining it in the limited light.

"Sounds like we should be able to make quite a pretty penny on the open market," Jonathan schemed, already spending the money in his mind.

"Jonathan!" Evy snatched the manacle away from her greedy brother. "The Manacle is going nowhere but to the museum, where it can be properly studied. Until then, I will hold onto it for safe-keeping."

He moaned, of course, but couldn't do anything against his strong willed (stubborn) sister. They continued examining the vault, and hours passed before they eventually left. The next morning, Evy decided Alex had had enough adventure and not enough studying.

"Your father and I are going back to the dig site," she told him and her brother. "You two stay here. And keep him out of trouble."

"You can count on me," Jonathan said, who was also staying behind.

As the couple left, Rick grinned and added, "Who said she was talking to _you_?"

It was several hours later when Jonathan finally yawned and stood up. "I'm going to stretch my legs a bit," he said, going outside.

Alex looked up from his study of ancient Egyptian to make sure his uncle was gone, then started rummaging through his mother's suitcase. Eventually finding the key he was looking for, he took it and unlocked the box where she had stored the golden manacle. Taking it in his hands, he half expected to be struck down by lightning. When nothing happened, he tapped it and looked at it properly for the first time.

"Hm. Doesn't look all _that _powerful." Slipping it on his wrist, he said loudly, "Behold! I am Osiris, king of the underworld!"

Suddenly there was a burst of energy and light from the bracelet, and a pain shot through his wrist as the object shrank to grip his arm tightly. "Ow! Hey!" tugging it and struggling in vain to get it off, he said, "This is _not_ good."

A mere five miles away, Jena sat up straight, woken suddenly from her rest. Her eyes glowed golden.

#~#~#

Two guards stood outside the pyramid's crypt. It was boring, and they were chatting mindlessly to pass the time. One guard suddenly broke off and fell to the ground, and the other saw a tranquilizer dart sticking out of his neck. Before he could even think of what to do, he felt a painless blow to his head and fell into unconsciousness. The trespasser easily sneaked passed them, carrying the ancient Book of the Dead.

Eventually finding the tomb in the labyrinth, Colin Weasler walked up to the occupied sarcophagus. "Time to rise and shine, my mummy friend. I need you to settle a score for me." Opening the book, he began reading an incantation. "Awake, Lord Imhotep, High Priest of Memphis. For death is only the beginning." He read the Egyptian glyphs out loud.

The sarcophagus slowly opened, stone grinding loudly, and Weasler faltered. He seriously considered abandoning the whole thing, but as a mummified body rose out of the coffin it didn't look as if he had a lot of choice.

The Mummy spoke in ancient Egyptian.

"I – I possess the Book of the Dead, and I command you to – " Weasler abruptly shut up when he felt a swirl of dark energy lift him into the air and throw him backwards. The book floated into the Mummy's hands, and he finished the incantation. Energy came from all directions towards him, and Weasler shut his eyes until it was gone.

A full flesh-figure of Imhotep barked a command, and skeletons of ancient guards jumped out of the walls.

"The world condemned me to eternal suffering," he said darkly. "Now it shall pay; I only need the Manacle of Osiris to exact my revenge. It lies in the Temple of Hamunaptra."

"The Temple of Hamunaptra," Weasler managed to squeeze out. "Really? What a coincidence. Perhaps we can come to some kind of arrangement of mutual benefit."

Imhotep turned and raised his arm. The familiar energy lifting the small man into the air brought his throat into the High Priest's grasp.

"The Manacle… or your life."

"You… certainly drive a hard bargain," Weasler choked.

Meanwhile, Alex was frantically tugging the Manacle in attempt to get it off. When he was swinging his arm around, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his head, and his vision changed. He was lying on a stone table, bound by serpents, and an Egyptian man was looming over him. The man's face deformed itself and turned a purplish, undead color. There was a book, written in hieroglyphics, whose pages flipped backwards until he could see the front of it and the scarab seal inset onto the stone. Then it passed, and he was back in his parents' research tent.

"Whoa," was all he could say. "What was that?"

"Alex?" his mother's voice came and she and Rick appeared. She sounded cross. "What are you doing? Please take that Manacle off this instant."

"I tried," he turned to face her. "It won't come off."

The flap to the tent suddenly vanished as they all turned to see a young, pale-skinned girl with silvery blue hair flick it out of the way. She wore a dirty baggy t-shirt that may once have been blue and loose black shorts that stopped at her knees. She was bare-foot. "Let me help," she said in an unfriendly voice.

"What are you doing here?" Rick asked. "This research facility is off-limits to anyone not involved in the project."

"Don't worry, I'll be leaving soon," the girl replied, still unsmiling. "But I'll be taking that bracelet; give it to me."

"I'd love to," Alex said, gripping it and pulling at it once again. "But it's stuck."

"That's a shame," she rummaged into her old leather bag and pulled out a jungle knife, removing its casing. "I'll just have to cut your arm off, then."

"Now, look here," Evy stepped in front of her son protectively. "Don't you have parents anywhere? I'm sure they must be worried about you."

"Once I have that bracelet, I'll go back to them."

"Look, kid. You can't expect us to let you cut off our son's arm just to please you."

The girl stared at Rick with an unfriendly gaze. "I am not beneath stopping the two of you from preventing me from taking it. That bracelet belongs to me." She ran at them. Rick acted quickly, taking his whip from his belt and using it to snatch the blade from the girl's hand. Not faltering, she balled her fist and punched him square on the jaw. He didn't expect it to hurt, and was unpleasantly surprised when he found it was as if he had been hit by a man half his age.

"Dad!" Alex ran up to his father, who was lying dazed on the ground. The girl spun around to face him and her hand flew out. The second it touched the bracelet, light shot through the tent and both children's visions changed.

_The girl was obviously at least ten years older, and was being held captive by a man with an evil expression. He wore metal plated armor and green scaled gloves, and his brown eyes were marred by a diagonal black stripe running from the center outwards. His pale skin was a vast comparison to his jet-black, waist-length hair that was tinged with a greenish shade when it hit the light. He was glaring at Alex, who stood a little way away and was also much older, and he suddenly turned and reached out his tongue, trailing it slowly up the captive woman's neck and cheek. She winced._

_Alex held his arm out in feeble attempt to stop him, and the second they saw the Manacle still on his wrist everything vanished._

The girl's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed, breathing heavily. A strong hand fell onto her shoulder, and she automatically spun around and out of Rick's grasp. He was astonished to see her now look scared.

"Alex, what just happened?" Rick asked his son tentatively.

"I don't know. I think I just had a vision of the future. It's like the Manacle is trying to tell me something. It happened just before you came, too."

"And what'd you see?"

The girl's eyes grew wide with fear, and she shuffled backward as she grasped her head with her hands. "It's him, it's him. He's going to find me."

Evy cautiously crept up to her and spoke gently. "Who is going to find you?"

Her voice was barely a whisper. "The Destroyer's Apprentice." Suddenly her head snapped up. Any trace of fear was gone. "You _have _to give me that bracelet."

"But I can't."

"Perhaps _I _can be of some assistance." They all turned to see Weasler standing at the entrance. "Have you met my friend – Imhotep?"

The tent flap blew open in the breeze to reveal the tall Egyptian High Priest, signs of death still clinging to his face and a foul stench rolling through the tent. Several skeletal guards were standing behind him.

"Mom? Dad?" Alex asked, feeling scared for the first time in years.

"The Book of the Dead!" Evy exclaimed. "You stole it to resurrect Imhotep!"

"Jealous?" Weasler grinned horribly.

Imhotep pointed to Alex and commanded his soldiers. "The Manacle of Osiris."

They all began advancing. As one of them was reaching out to grasp Alex, Jena sprang forward and kicked him back.

"The Manacle is mine, High Priest," she said, glaring at Imhotep. As the guards surrounded them, there was a ripping noise as an X-shaped tear appeared in the ten. A man with long dark hair and an ink mark on each cheek appeared from the hole, wielding a sword in each hand.

"Ardeth Bay!" Evy exclaimed, relieved that they finally came across a friendly face.

Ardeth threw one of his swords to Rick, who caught it deftly, and they began fighting off the guards with Jena. Standing back to back as the skeletons closed in on them, Rick said, "We've gotta stop meeting like this."

"Agreed," Ardeth replied as they attacked again.

Taking Alex by the wrist, Evy ran with him to the tent's entrance in attempt to escape. A roar echoed after them as Imhotep's face deformed, and fire rose up from the ground, effectively blocking their escape. The sand around him began stirring as a miniature whirlwind appeared around him. Books, compasses and various other items were thrown all around the tent with the force of the gale. Rick charged at the former priest, but the wind threw him backward as if he were a feather. Alex, on the other hand, felt the wind pulling him in, and in a few seconds he was lifted off the ground.

"Mom!" he cried, slipping from her grasp.

"Alex!"

He vanished into the gale, and the tent exploded as the whirlwind grew and traveled away rapidly. The four remaining stared in its wake, unable to believe what had happened.

Jonathan came back at that moment. "What happened to the research tent? It looks like a tornado hit it!"

"Jena!" Yue appeared, huge white wings sprouted from his back as he flew down to the site. "Jena!"

"I'm okay," she said, still staring in the direction Alex had vanished in. Suddenly she turned to her father. "Papa, what is the Manacle of Osiris?"

#~#~#

Evy was fiercely trying to hold back tears with Rick's strong arms around her.

"When I heard Imhotep's tomb guards had been assaulted, I feared the worst," Ardeth was saying.

"What's going to happen to Alex?" Evy asked.

"I assure you no harm will come to your son until Imhotep possesses the Scrolls of Thebes."

"What are they?" Rick asked.

"The Scrolls are an ancient instruction manual for the manacle on Alex's wrist," he noticed Yue was listening intently, but continued anyway. "If Imhotep obtains both the Manacle _and _the Scrolls, the world will be forced to bow at the Mummy's feet."

"We've got to get the Scrolls before Imhotep," Evy said to her husband. "It's the only way to protect Alex."

"They were rumored to have been buried with King Dozier in his pyramid in Sacara," Ardeth said. "We must hurry; the Mummy knows this as well."

"I'll go with you," Jena said.

"No, you won't," Yue contradicted. "This quest of yours has gone on long enough. It's time you came home and stop searching for the past."

She turned on him. "I get the tiniest bit closer to discovering something and you want to bring me home? What is it that you're afraid of me finding out? Was this the danger that you won't tell me about?"

"No," he replied. "The true danger is far worse than an undead priest."

"Then you have no reason to stop me. Think about how she feels," Jena pointed at Evy. "If something happened to me, wouldn't you want all the help you could get to save me?"

Yue didn't answer, and briefly made eye contact with Evy.

"Fine," he eventually said. "I will make an arrangement with you. If you can save that boy without any help from me, I will permit you to continue this foolish mission of yours. If not, you will come home and forget about the past."

His wings sprouted from his back and stretched wide. As he flew off, Jena yelled after him, "Don't you dare interfere!"

She turned back to the other four.

"How do we know you won't try and hurt Alex again?" Rick asked suspiciously.

"I'm sorry, but we have to hurry and get to Sacara and find the Scrolls. You'll just have to trust me."

#~#~#

Alex and Weasler were thrown out of the whirlwind and landed painfully on the ground, coughing sand out of their mouths and noses. Imhotep, unfazed, walked up to the pyramid they had arrived at and said something in Egyptian that made the stones open up a path.

Alex, seeing the Zephyr in the dusky sky, took out his pocket-watch and used the back of it to reflect the sunlight, signaling in blinding flashes his position to his parents. The blimp slowly turned to head towards him, but the watch in his hands suddenly rose into the air, surrounded by dark energy. It floated into Imhotep's hand, and he crushed it slowly.

"You would have made an excellent Medjai warrior," was all he said. "Pity you won't live to see that day." Taking a stone from inside his robe, he gripped it tightly as it glowed red and morphed into a scarab beetle. The scarab's pincers clicked together, and it flew from Imhotep's hand up to the approaching Zephyr. Then he grasped the struggling boy's wrist and dragged him inside the pyramid, followed by Weasler.

Throwing him into the main chamber, Alex looked up at the golden skeleton statue and said to himself, "Why do I get the feeling I've been here before?"

Imhotep turned on Weasler. "The Scrolls will be in the burial chamber. Bring them to me," he ordered. "I will prepare the boy for the separation ritual."

Alex shuddered. "Somehow, I don't like the sound of that." He tried to make a run for it, but energy surrounded him and threw him onto the stone table beneath the statue. Serpents in the sculpture glowed and came to life, slithering through the table and over him, binding his arms, waist and then legs. He struggled relentlessly, but it was all in vain.

"When my dad gets here, you're gonna wish you still had your bandages!" he said to Imhotep, hoping he sounded in control.

Taking the Book of the Dead, the high priest replied, "Your parents will never reach this pyramid. Behold." He raised his arm and part of the wall rippled to show an illusion of what was happening in the Zephyr.

Jonathan was the first to notice the scarab. It crawled past his foot, and he quickly stomped on it. "You have a major bug problem here, Evy," he complained. The beetle beneath his foot continued moving, bringing his leg with him, and he fell painfully.

"Black scarabs," Ardeth said, springing forward to help him up. "A gift from Imhotep, no doubt. They will devour everything in their path." He took out one of his swords and began swinging it at the swarm of scarabs that advanced toward the five of them. Jena snatched her jungle knife from Rick's belt and began helping him.

Rick abruptly let go of the wheel as he saw another horde crawl up it, then swung it round suddenly to throw them off. Above the passenger compartment, Evy watched in alarm as a hole appeared in the air chamber, and the blimp slowly began to sink towards the ground.

"They must be in the superstructure," Rick said. "If they destroy too much of the outer skin we'll be kissing sand. Evy, take the controls."

She sprang to take the wheel as he climbed up into the gas compartment.

Alex watched in horror as the illusion vanished.

"Their fate is sealed," Imhotep said, walking up to the table. "As is yours."

#~#~#

"I can't keep her steady!" Evy struggled with the wheel. The whole zeppelin jerked sharply as it crashed against a statue of pharaoh.

"There are too many of them," Ardeth said, both him and Jena trying their utmost to destroy the scarabs.

"I have an idea, but we'll need some bait," she said, looking at her brother.

"Why are you looking at me?" he exclaimed, using a collapsible chair to kill the beetles.

"Sand over the cargo door and wait for my signal."

"You always were bossy."

Understanding her scheme, Jena spoke up. "Maybe it would be better for me to do it. I can jump higher than him."

"No argument here," Jonathan said.

The girl leaped over to the hatch and stood on top of it, snatching Jonathan's chair and chucking him her knife. "I'm ready." Unfolding the chair, she set it onto the cargo door and jumped onto its seat. The scarabs battled each other to climb up its legs, and when they were all over the hatch she said, "Pull the lever now!"

Evy did so, and the hatch opened. As the scarabs fell out, Jena leaped off the back of the chair and flew backwards, her nose passing less than an inch from the roof, and flipped herself backwards to land on her feet.

"They're all gone," she said, running to the window and seeing more of the black beetles falling from the tear in the gas chamber. "Your husband must have managed to push them out of the superstructure. We should be all right, as long as we land safely."

"Easier said than done!" Evy exclaimed, still struggling with the wheel.

#~#~#

Weasler was frantically looking through the burial chamber for the Scrolls of Thebes, throwing ancient golden statuettes out of the way. Finding nothing, the now-familiar fear for his life rushed through him. "They've got to be here somewhere. I can't go back there empty-handed!"

A strong hand fell onto his shoulder and, being pulled upright, he found himself staring into the smug eyes of Rick O'Connell.

"Remember us?" Rick asked.

"Now _this _is my kind of pyramid," Jonathan said, itching to grab some of the treasures.

"Where is Alex?" Evy asked dangerously of the small man, held securely by the strong Rick and Ardeth.

"If you believe you can intimidate me, you are sorely – "

Evy grabbed his clothes and pulled him away from the men. "Don't mess with a mum!" Dangling him over the edge of a very deep pit, she commanded, "Tell me where Alex is _now!_"

"Th – th – the Grand Gallery," Weasler stuttered. Between undead mummies bent on revenge and scary women whose children had been kidnapped, he was seriously wondering if he was going to survive the night.

"Very impressive," Jena approved her tactics.

"But you won't get him back," Weasler added. "He's with Imhotep."

"And the Scrolls?" Ardeth demanded.

"They're not here, I swear! A lot can happen in three thousand years!"

Roughly pulling him out of danger, she passed the man to Rick. The American man easily lifted Weasler onto a broken stone high off the ground and grinned as the captive's shirt caught on it. "You hang out right here."

The five ran out of the room quickly.

In the gallery, Imhotep was looking through the Book of the Dead. "Soon, the world will be mine." Suddenly a small body darted past him, snatching the book from his hands. Jena balanced herself on the jutting out parts of the statue as if she was a monkey.

"I told you, High Priest, this Manacle is mine," she said. "You can't have it."

"Insignificant wretches!" he turned to see the four adults in the chamber entrance. "How dare you challenge Imhotep? Arise, my warriors!"

Flames shot from his hands into the ground and more skeletal guards rose from the stone, grabbing their legs at the same time. In the distraction, Jonathan managed to sneak past them all and struggled to free Alex from the binding serpents as Imhotep floated through the air over the intruders. Above the entrance was a statue of Anubis, which he picked up as it if were a piece of paper and held high above his head.

"Draw your last breath."

"Dad! No!" Alex cried, and the Manacle on his wrist suddenly glowed brightly. Light shot out of it in all directions and the ground shook, splitting open. Jena fell off the statue to the ground, her eyes golden and her body unresponsive as the guards and the serpent bindings both crumbled to sand. Then as quickly as the Manacle activated, it died again.

"Maybe this thing isn't so bad, after all," the redhead stared at it. Remembering the first vision it had showed him, he cried out to his parents. "Mom, it's the Book of the Dead! You can send him back!"

"Here it is," Jena said before getting off the ground and running over to Evy, handing her the book. Imhotep angrily advanced to them, but she already began reading the incantation. Imhotep was captured in energy, and the life was visibly being drained from his body as it became weaker and decayed. The group began getting hopeful, but just then something knocked the book out of Evy's hands.

"Remember me?" Weasler asked as he hurried to help Imhotep to his feet.

"I didn't complete it," Evy got up and anxiously hurried to where the book was perilously sitting on the edge of one of the cracks in the ground that the Manacle had made. The book fell into the depths of the earth as Imhotep angrily created a protective whirlwind around himself and, taking Weasler with him, left the chamber.

"Dad!" Alex ran into his father's arms. Rick spun him around joyfully. "Remind me never to wish for things to be more exciting."

"Good riddance, I say," Jonathan commented as Evy hugged her son tightly.

"Something tells me we haven't seen the last of old gauze-head," Rick said.

"What are you talking about? That Mummy beat it out of here like his robe was on fire."

"No," Jena said. "The High Priest has gone to find the Scrolls of Thebes."

"Then he'll come back for the Manacle, won't he?" Alex asked.

"He'll have to go through us first," Evy said.

"In that case," the young girl said. "I should stay with you. I can't have him taking _my _Manacle."

"Do you promise not to try and cut my arm off?"

Jena giggled sheepishly, smiling for the first time. "I'm sorry about that. I get very obsessive when it comes to my past."

"Jena!" Yue suddenly appeared in the chamber. Seeing Alex, he looked displeased. "You succeeded, then. I assume you will continue your foolish quest."

"That's right. But, Papa," she said. "You can tell Mama to stop worrying about me. From now on I'll be traveling with these people."

#~#~#

The five of them safely loaded in the Zephyr, they journeyed back to the research facility. After helping repair the blimp's air chamber Yue had left with Ardeth to visit his son, a student in the Medjai's care. Jena had almost gone with them, but decided against it.

"Is your brother older or younger than you?" Alex asked.

"He's four years younger. Laith is the youngest of the three of us – he has a twin sister."

"And why's he training to be a Medjai? Are you guys from Egypt or something?"

Jena shrugged. "I have no idea where we're from. We moved to America nearly a year and a half ago, but I have absolutely no memories of my life before that time. That's why I'm traveling at the moment. I don't know where to start, so I've been visiting different countries to see if something jogs my memory." She paused, and her eyes clouded. "My father doesn't want me to remember anything. There was a great danger that we escaped from in our home, and that was what caused me to forget everything. Then that Manacle sent me a message." She stared at the golden shackle. "I don't know what my connection is to it, but I'm sure I'll find out more when we find the Scrolls of Thebes."

"Jena," Evy walked up to the two of them. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but don't you have a spare set of clothes?"

Jena stared at her for a full five seconds before blinking. Then she smiled. "You're very like my mother. No, this is all I have. I used to have more, but my old bag got stolen. Everything I have with me, I took for myself."

"How long were you traveling all by yourself?"

She shrugged. "A few months, I think."

"A few _months!_" Evy exclaimed.

"It's no big deal. I know I'm only eleven, but I'm not like you guys. I'm not human – I'm an arukatasu. That's why I have hair this color," she flicked one of her dirty strands.

"I guess that also explains why you have a pretty mean left hook," Rick commented from the wheel.

She grinned. "Yes, I'm a little stronger and faster than humans. But I've barely scratched the surface of my power. My family can do so much more than me. The only problem is, I don't remember anything about it. I have no idea how to train myself to fly, or manipulate things, or anything else."

"Well, that comes later," Evy said. "As soon as we get back to the research facility, you are going straight to have a shower. Then we can go shopping for some clothes for you."

"Mom always wanted a girl," Alex grinned at the arukatasu.

"But I don't have enough money for clothes. I'll be fine with what I have."

"Don't be silly! I can't let you run around in rags. This will be my treat. Just think of it as pre-payment on the help you're going to give us searching for the Scrolls."

Jena grinned, then jumped up to hug Evy. "I was right; you're _just _like my mother. I think I'm going to like traveling with you all."

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. Why would you want anyone like Little Miss Bossy?"

Jena slumped against the English woman, and Evy was alarmed until she looked down and saw the girl breathing peacefully. "She's asleep."

"I can't believe her father let a kid like her travel the world by herself," Rick said as his wife laid the girl on a bed in the cabin. "Even _if _he flies through the sky and watches over her all the time."

"You're right," she agreed. "I can't imagine the kind of life she must have been brought up in."

"At least she has a real Mom," Alex said. "Anyway, she can stay with us after we get the Scrolls, right?"

Rick and Evy exchanged a glance, suspecting their son had his first crush on a girl. "We'll see, Alex," Evy said. "It's up to her, really."

Alex saw their look. "Stop thinking that! I don't _like _her!"

Rick grinned. "Sure thing, Sport. Whatever you say."


	2. A Candle in the Darkness

And so it begins ^_^

**A Candle In The Darkness**

Egypt

"Latin? Ancient Greek?" Alex complained, his head propped up on his arms as he slouched over the desk. "Mom, there's a reason they're called dead languages. Nobody uses them anymore but you."

"Alex, as long as you're not enrolled in a proper school, I'm your teacher," Evy said, folding her arms.

"Come on, Mom. Instead of doing homework we could be looking for the Scrolls of Thebes. Think of it as extra credit."

"We've already combed through all of Alexandria. You know every lead is a dead end," Rick said.

"Knowledge is like a candle in the darkness, lighting your way through life. Now please stop this nonsense and finish your homework," Evy ruffled his hair as Jena walked into the tent, yawning sleepily and rubbing one eye.

"That was the best week's sleep I've had since forever," she mumbled. She was wearing a blue shirt with some beige short pants, held up by a leather belt.

Alex asked looked down at his identical outfit and asked, "Are those _my_ clothes?"

"You don't mind, do you?" she replied. "Your mom gave them to me until we can get some more in the market. My old clothes are kind of pre-occupied serving as cleaning rags."

"So while I'm in here slaving away, you guys are going _shopping?_ This is so unfair!"

"I agree," Jena grinned, turning to Evy. "Can we trade places? I'll gladly do Alex's homework if he'll go shopping for me."

"Yeah, so how come _she _gets away with no homework?" Alex demanded.

"Good point; Jena, what kind of education have you had?"

She shrugged. "I've spent the last two years learning English. I can read a little, but I've never tried writing something. And when I mean a little, I mean tiny words like _the_ and _have_." Her eyes lit up. "Can you teach me?"

"Of course. _After _we go shopping." Taking the girl by the hand, Evy lead her out of the tent and towards the marketplace.

"I'll be packing up the artifacts uncovered in the dig if you need any help," Rick said to Alex before leaving him alone with his Greek and Latin. Sighing, he redhead settled down to study.

"Whatcha doin', mate?" Jonathan's voice came from the doorway a good hour later.

"Homework," he replied moodily, flicking onto the next page. "What's the fun of not having to go to school if your mom brings the school to you?"

His uncle tutted. "Too bad you're busy. I was just heading into town and was hoping you could show me some of the sights I've missed." Jonathan had been a little preoccupied with golden treasures while his in-laws had visited the market. "But, if your heart is set on studying…"

"Well, I'm sure my homework will still be here when I get back," Alex grinned and shut the book. The two of them traveled to the nearest town with the motorcycle Jonathan had somehow "happened upon" ("it just appeared from nowhere – I swear!"), and hopped off it. He tripped before setting foot on the ground out of pure karmic justice.

"It's really a shame this place is so run-down," Jonathan complained, looking around at the worn stone buildings. "It's in ruins."

"Uncle Jonathan, these _are _ruins," Alex said with a laugh. He indicated the main, largest building in the center. "This was once the Library of Alexandria. Every book and scroll that entered Egypt was copied for its collection. We checked it out, but no Scrolls of Thebes."

"Never much cared for libraries," Jonathon tipped his hat and looked at the pi-shaped symbol above the entrance. "All that 'shushing', I suspect." He was abruptly cut off as the ground began to shake violently. "What – what's happening?"

They watched as part of one of the library's columns crumbled to dust and fell to the ground.

"Earthquake," Alex cried.

"Look out," Jonathan made to run off as the front of the library fell towards them and protested when his nephew caught his wrist and stopped him.

"Wait, stay right here."

The adult curled up in a ball as the wall got closer and closer to them and shut his eyes tightly. When he opened them, he saw the two of them standing in the small window frame, the rest of the wall in pieces around them.

"Mom said geometry would come in handy," Alex said proudly, looking at the stone.

Suddenly he was in absolute darkness. Walking around a little he finally saw a tiny light in the distance grow brighter until the whole room was illuminated. It seemed to be a vault, and the light he saw was a large orb about a foot and a half in diameter. It was sitting on a stone pillar, with ancient writing beneath it.

"Alex? Earth to Alex!" his uncle shook his arm and Alex blinked several times before registering the scattered surroundings. "Another one of those weird visions?"

"They seem so real; like I'm actually there. You know what I mean?"

"Well, I did eat some bad curry once that affected me in a similar fashion."

"Look!" Alex pointed toward the library. "The earthquake opened some kind of secret doorway. Let's check it out."

"Let's not, and say we did," Jonathan folded his arms.

"But what if the Scrolls of Thebes are in there? We could use them to get the Manacle of my wrist."

"Not to mention that mummy off our backs," his uncle mused as Alex darted into the small gap. Reluctantly, he followed.

Neither noticed the small man who was watching from behind one of the ruins.

"The O'Connell boy," Weasler said to himself, delighted. "And on my first day in town. The master will be most pleased."

#~#~#

Evy worriedly paced back and forward in the middle of the group of tents as Rick walked up to her.

"There's no sign of Alex in the Zephyr," her husband said.

"And he's not in his tent," she meshed and unmeshed her fingers anxiously. "Where could he be?"

"Jonathan went into town," Rick tried to soothe her. "I bet Alex went with him."

"But what if something happens?"

They both noticed that Jena was standing rigidly with her back to them. Going to face her, they saw her eyes glowing golden.

"Jena? Are you alright?"

The girl blinked, and the golden glow vanished. "It's crying," she said.

"What is?"

"The Manacle. I can hear it."

"Do you know where it is?"

"There." She pointed dead ahead in an instant. "I'm going."

"Wait!" Rick called after her, but she was already about a hundred yards ahead. "She runs fast. I think she's going to be more trouble than Alex."

#~#~#

Imhotep lifted a boulder five times his weight into the air before dropping it. Turning around, he saw a statue three times his height and sent a flow of evil energy to it to raise it into the air. He hadn't moved it four feet before it fell to the ground again.

"They may have diminished my powers, but not my rage!" He slammed his fists against a boulder and watched with mild satisfaction as it crumbled.

"M-m-m-master?"

"What?!" he demanded the tiny man.

"I just saw… the O'Connell boy in the ruins of the library. He may have… a lead on the Scrolls."

"The Manacle and the Scrolls…" Imhotep took in a deep breath, and Weasler could almost feel the air around him dying. "Take me to him."

#~#~#

Alex held the flaming torch high above his head as he walked into the main chamber. There was a model of a town covering the floor, made from gold. "Whoa," he said as he looked at it. "I think it's Alexandria. The way it looked in ancient times. There's the lighthouse," he pointed to a building. "And this must be the library." The figure had a Pi-shaped symbol etched on the roof. "What do you think all these symbols mean?"

"You don't suppose it's some kind of treasure map, do you?" Jonathan's voice rose with hopefulness as his nephew handed him the light.

"Maybe. But whatever it is, it's got to be important." Alex took out some paper and a pencil and quickly began sketching. "We can figure out what it means later."

"Hey, you're good at drawing."

"Ah!" the redhead dropped his pencil at the sound of Jena's voice and spun around. "What are you doing here? I thought you went shopping!"

"We just got back and you were gone. Evy was worried – you really shouldn't just disappear like that. She had no idea what happened to you."

"I just came into town. I figured I'd be back before she would."

Jena wrinkled her nose, and he couldn't help thinking she looked kind of cute like that. "We only went to the market. It was half a mile away. Thank you for noticing my new clothes, by the way."

He looked at them in the limited light. They seemed to be an ordinary blue T-shirt and black shorts – just like her old ones, but cleaner. "You're barefoot."

"Obvious. I don't like shoes. Anyway, hurry up and finish that drawing."

Alex returned his attention to the sketch, and when he finished Jonathan spoke.

"Now can we please go before something bad happens?"

At that moment they heard the unmistakable voice of Colin Weasler. "I watched them enter this passageway," he was saying.

"Too late," Jena said as both she and Alex reached for the light at the same time. Their hands met, and they both blushed slightly and looked away. She let him take it and extinguish it – to Jonathan's chagrin – and the three off them hid behind a column as Weasler entered the chamber carrying a lantern. He gasped when he saw the miniature town.

"Master! I found something!" he called behind him.

They all half-held their breath as they smelled Imhotep entering. He took one look at the floor and said in a bored voice, "Ancient Alexandria."

"We have to get out of here," Jonathan whispered to the two children.

"I have a plan," Alex whispered back. As Imhotep and Weasler walked away from then and around the model, he took a deep breath and yelled, "Run!" as he bolted toward the entrance.

"That's your plan?" Jonathan exclaimed as he followed.

Imhotep whipped his head round to face them, and his hands glowed as he attempted to shoot a stream of fire towards them. Fortunately only two small fireballs came out, but they skimmed passed Jonathan's back and into the pillar beside him. The shock made him trip, and Jena grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

The three of them sprinted through the passageway and, panting heavily, exited before the library came tumbling down into rubble with Imhotep's rage. Jonathan and Alex leaped onto the motorcycle before looking worriedly at Jena, who didn't have room to sit down.

"I'll run; I can keep up," she said.

"But – "

"Not human – just start the thing and drive off!" She got a head start and began running toward the research facility. Seeing she was indeed fast, Alex said, "Now _would _be a good time to go, Uncle Jonathan," as Imhotep leaped out of the ruins.

Jonathan anxiously stepped on the pedal repeatedly until the engine leapt to life, and the bike shot off after Jena. They sped through the streets, hearing a roar behind them as wind swirled around Imhotep and caused a whirlwind to form around him.

"I think we lost him," Jonathan said as they got out of town and caught up with Jena.

Alex looked behind. "Think again."

His uncle gave a girlish scream as he looked in the mirror and saw the tornado chasing them. Sand flew up into the air, giving a rough impression of a face with an open mouth. Not encouraging.

Alex gave a cry as they flew over a small hill and into the air. He turned around to look at the sandstorm. "It's gaining on us!"

Jonathan revved the engine, and they shot forward. Jena was pushing her small frame to its limits and beyond, but she couldn't catch up with it. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she felt the sand's huge mouth overshadow her. Squeezing her eyes shut she felt something suddenly wrap around her stomach, and then the air was free of the undead stench. She opened her eyes.

"Papa?"

Yue flew into the air and away from the Mummy, his stunning white wings stretched wide. "You can thank me later."

Jonathan and Alex skillfully dodged through a clump of palm trees as they approached an oasis.

"Watch out for the river!" Alex yelled over the noise of both the wind and the engine.

"Trust me," Jonathan replied – although his face showed his anxiety. Driving into the shallow water, he abruptly turned and skidded. The water sprayed all over the tornado and wetted the sand until the winds lowered and it vanished.

"You did it!" Alex cried as they drove away. "You saved us!"

His uncle gave the boy a sideways glance. "You don't have to sound so amazed."

"I wonder what happened to Jena," the redhead looked behind them. "She just disappeared."

The two of them drove up to the research facility as it was beginning to get dark and hopped off the bike.

"Alex!" Evy exclaimed and ran up to embrace her son in relief. "I'm so glad you're alright. Where have you been? We thought you were in your tent studying. We were worried sick! Freeze, big brother!" They all jumped as her tone changed and she pointed at Jonathan, who was trying to inconspicuously sneak past.

"Mom, you won't believe what we – "

"You just disappear into thin air when there's a 3,000 year old mummy who would like nothing better than to catch you unprotected?" Evy ranted.

"Well, _I _was with him," Jonathan put in.

"I wouldn't remind her of that, if I were you," Rick said slyly.

"Mom, I'm sorry I skipped out on my homework and didn't tell you were I was going. But look what we found! There was a secret map room under the Library of Alexandria. I sketched it all out," he showed her his notebook.

"Alex, don't change the subject. I want you to march right back into your tent and – " She abruptly stopped when she saw the sketch. "My word, this is amazing detail. This building in the hills has the symbol of knowledge – just like the library. Could it be there's a second library? A secret annex?"

"Maybe the scrolls are in there," Alex said, mentally wiping sweat off his forehead for escaping punishment.

"Then at first light we'll take the Zephyr and survey from the air," Rick planned. "That's the only way to see the entire city at once. And by the way, have you seen Jena?"

"She's not back?"

"She said she could hear the Manacle crying and then ran off," Evy said.

"I'm here," came her voice. Yue landed gracefully on the ground and she leaped out of his arms. "Sorry to worry you. I guess I wasn't as fast as I thought."

Her father cleared his throat. " 'You can tell Mama to stop worrying about me'," he quoted her words. "Would you like to amend that statement?"

Jena grinned sheepishly. "Uh, having an off day?"

Yue narrowed his eyes. "If you keep having 'off days', I'm bringing you home," he said before taking to the skies again.

"Well, I'm off to bed," Jonathan said, yawning and walking towards his tent. "After that trouncing we gave Imhotep today I'm feeling rather sleepy."

"Imhotep?" Rick and Evy exclaimed before turning to their son.

Alex froze and decided to play coy. "I knew there was something I forgot to tell you about," he grinning nervously.

The five of them set off for the second library at first light the next morning. Jonathan was not best pleased, and yawned exhaustedly.

"What a ghastly hour," he complained. "This is one of the reasons I never became a farmer."

"You don't know anything about farming," Rick replied as he steered the Zephyr.

"That would be the other reason," the English man sprawled over a long chair with his safari hat covering his face.

Evy walked up to her husband studying a map of present-day Alexandria.

"You okay?" he asked her, noticing she was on edge.

"As well as I can be in this flying billboard," she answered. She had a point; a large blue zeppelin wasn't exactly inconspicuous. "We just better hope Imhotep's a late sleeper."

"If he actually has to sleep," Jena said.

"You think he doesn't?" Alex asked.

She shrugged. "He's undead. Who knows?"

He suddenly caught sight of a symbol among the cliff filled terrain and pointed. "That's it!"

They flew towards the huge entrance in the stone cliffs, just hidden beneath a slab of stone.

"That building just might be the library annex," Evy said, eyes glowing.

"Only one way to find out," Rick replied as he lowered the Zephyr to the ground.

They walked toward the entrance of the cavern, the path lit by a lantern in the early dawn. Two enormous figures guarded the open door, carved from stone ten feet tall.

"The same inscription was found over the entrance to all the great libraries of Greece," Evy said, looking at the Greek writings above the doorway. "Alex, since you're so fluent in Greek that you don't need to study, would you like to translate this for us?"

"No problem," he grinned cockily, eager at a chance to show off his linguistic skills in front of Jena. His grin quickly vanished when he took a closer look at the symbols. "'Negotiate… for the… duck'?"

His mother cleared her throat. "'Nourishment for the soul'," she corrected.

Jena gave him a one-sided smile. "You knew more than me," she said.

"Tcha," he scoffed. "I knew that. Let's go check out the inside." He started walking towards the entrance. Rick caught his collar.

"Sorry, son. I want you to wait in the Zephyr."

"Dad, that's not fair," he protested.

"Your father's right, Alex," Evy agreed. "There may be aftershocks from the earthquake; it's too dangerous. We'll be back as soon as we get the scrolls."

"Perhaps I should stay and comfort the lad," Jonathan said, eager to escape any possible risk of danger. "He seems hysterical."

"I don't know what we'd do without you, Jonathan," Rick answered, glad of a chance to be rid of his pesky brother-in-law. "But sometimes I'd sure like to try."

Jena seemed torn between the thrill of looking in an underground secret library or staying with her secret crush. "Um… I'll – "

"Stay with Alex and Jonathan," Evy finished as she and her husband walked into the annex.

The young arukatasu blew a strand of silver-blue hair out of her face. "Motherly instinct solves _that_ dilemma."

"When Tutankhamen was my age he ruled all of Egypt," Alex complained several hours later as he paced around in the Zephyr. "Betcha _he _didn't have to listen to his parents. Or do his homework. All he had to do was – " He abruptly broke off and looked out the window. "The Mummy!"

"Do the mummy?" Jonathan echoed. "Personally I'd rather do the Charleston."

"No, Imhotep! I have to warn Mom and Dad," he started running out the blimp.

"Alex, wait – "

"I know it may be dangerous to go inside after the earthquake, but it'd be even more so to stay out here," Jena agreed, taking Jonathan's arm and following the redhead as the three of them ran into the annex. Jonathan skidded to a stop as he passed a large circular object stood upright on a pedestal.

"Precious metal decorations?" he said to himself. "Oh, I definitely need a library card from this place."

"Jonathan!" Jena called back to him.

Shaking himself out of it, he reminded himself of his priorities. "Right. First let's escape from the 3,000 year old mummy."

Further down the passage, Rick and Evy were examining yet another of the main chambers.

"I thought _you _were a pack rat," Rick commented as they saw how extensive the walls were. "Look at the size of this place! How are we going to find the scrolls in here?"

"It's as simple as learning your ABCs," Evy said, looking for some kind of index. "Only in Greek. Everything should be in order."

It took them a while, but eventually they found the index scroll.

"Pi, Rho, Sigma, Tau. This is the Tau, or T, index scroll." Evy lifted it up and opened it carefully, so as not to destroy it because of its age. "This will tell us exactly where the Scrolls of Thebes are."

"Mom, Dad!" Alex ran into the chamber, panting slightly, followed by the other two.

"Alex, didn't I tell you to – " Rick began.

"It's not safe in here; Imhotep is coming!"

They all covered their noses as the scent of death filled the room, coming from another entrance. "The Scrolls of Thebes," Imhotep demanded as soon as he appeared, holding out his hand. Weasler was standing behind him, holding a scroll they had apparently picked up on their way. "Now!"

"You didn't say pretty please," Rick inconspicuously pushed Evy behind him while reaching for his whip. Jena abandoned all acts and grasped her jungle knife's handle in plain sight.

"We don't have to," Weasler grinned, handing Imhotep the scroll in his hand. The Mummy opened it and began reading aloud in ancient Egyptian.

"I recommend lighting more lanterns," Jena said nervously.

"This is all we have here," Evy replied. "Why?"

The shadows began to flicker as creatures in the form of Anubis sprang up from them, swirling around Imhotep.

"Shadow demons. How did you know that?"

"Doesn't matter. We need to get more lights – or at least think of something else."

"I have an idea," Rick said, removing the glass from around the lantern. "Call them off or she'll burn the index scroll."

Seeing his plan, Evy held the scroll above the open flame. "Without it it'll take you years to find the Scrolls of Thebes."

"You wouldn't dare," Imhotep ground his teeth.

"Try me," she challenged. One of the Anubis shadows grabbed the scroll and tried to take it from her. Another fought off Rick as he attempted to go to her aid; he punched it hard, only resulting in nearly crippling his hand as it made contact with the stone wall.

"Never was big on shadowboxing," he muttered.

Two more Anubis shadows swirled around Jonathan and Alex.

"I don't suppose we can talk this out?" the Englishman asked just before dodging a shadow. His lantern slipped out of his hand and smashed as soon as it made contact with the ground. Flames burst out of it, causing the shadows to shriek and fly away.

"There's gas in the air," Jena said from her corner of the room. "This _is _dangerous." Then she stopped. "They're not attacking me."

"So count yourself lucky!" Jonathan replied, trying to stay as close to the fire as possible without getting burned.

"What I mean is, I'm not holding any kind of light! Why aren't they attacking me?" As an experiment, she ran up to the Anubis shadow that was in a tug-of-war with Evy. When she was close to it, it shrieked and dashed away in an instant. "Cool," was all she said.

Given an opening, Evy ran up to the fire Jonathan had created and threw the scroll onto it. "Come on!" she cried to the rest of them. The five of them escaped the chamber as Imhotep gave a roar of anger and attempted to salvage what remained of it in the hope that it would be useful.

"Evy!" Rick said as soon as they were in momentary safety. "I was only bluffing about burning the index scroll!"

Evy walked smugly ahead of her husband. "I already committed the information to memory," she smiled. "The Scrolls of Thebes are in the fifth dynasty room."

"What a woman to have as your _mom_," Jena said to Alex in admiration.

Rick agreed with her sentiment. "Beauty _and _brains," he said. "No wonder I married you."

The arukatasu ran on ahead.

"Jena, watch out for – "

Evy was interrupted by Jena's yell of surprise as the floor gave way beneath her and she plummeted even further underground.

"Jena!"

Rick held her away from the trapdoor, wary that she might follow her adopted daughter. "Find the Scrolls; we'll meet you in the fifth dynasty room," he said, examining the shaft and then jumping in.

"Don't worry, sis," Jonathan said as they ran to find the scrolls. "You still have me to protect you."

"Why doesn't that make me feel any better?"

"You have me, too," Alex said, running on her other side. "I'm braver than him."

"That _is_ slightly more comforting. Thank you, Alex."

"Ha-ha," Jonathan replied, not amused at being bested by an 11-year old.

Higher up, Evy, Jonathan and Alex were searching for the fifth dynasty room. Jonathan was anxiously checking behind him every two seconds.

"Ahh! Behind us!" he cried.

"That's _your _shadow, Uncle Jonathan," Alex replied without even looking.

He examined the wall. "I knew that," he eventually said.

Down the trapdoor's duct, Jena and Rick were skidding further underground at an alarming rate.

"Jena, I'm right behind you," Rick called. "Use your feet to slow yourself down."

Jena did as she was told and pressed her bare feet to either side of the tunnel. "It's too slick," she cried out as she continued to fall, ignoring the burns and scrapes that began to accumulate.

Rick reached for his whip as the duct came to an abrupt end, using it to swing from a stalactite and catch the unfortunate girl before she landed on the many stalagmites on the floor. The two of them swung across the chamber to the exit.

"Pretty exciting for a library, huh?" Jena grinned nervously. Anubis shadows began seeping into the room from the way they had entered.

"Yeah, never a dull moment. Come on, kid," Rick agreed hurriedly as they ran from the chamber. The Anubis shadows didn't catch up with them for about five minutes.

"Look out!" the arukatasu noticed them first.

An Anubis shadow quickly caught up with them and sent Rick onto the ground before throwing him up in the air. Jena acted quickly, swinging the candle in their direction. They split apart, so only one could be driven off with the light at once.

Jena tossed the candle to Rick as he got up, knowing they wouldn't attack her.

"We can't beat them hand to hand. Jena, you like learning, right?" Rick said, taking out two handfuls of dynamite and handing one to the girl. "Here."

"What do I do with these?" she asked.

"Quick science experiment. Now listen carefully," Rick answered as he tore some material from his shirt. Jena followed his instructions and used the cloth to tie up a bundle of explosives, and lit the material with the candle just as an Anubis shadow grabbed Rick by the arm and lifted him into the air.

"Close your eyes," Jena said. He did as she ordered, and she threw the bundle at the shadow. It exploded, and the Anubis creature dissipated. Rick landed solidly on the ground as Jena threw the other dynamite at the other creature, destroying it.

"Yeah, you did it!" the 11-year old jumped in the air with triumph before indicating their ripped clothes and adding, "You get to explain to Evy why my brand new clothes are destroyed. But you're so cool! I wish _my _dad did cool stuff like that. But he'd just pick me up and fly away if there was any danger."

Around the corner, Yue silently listened and watched as they made their way down the passage.

"This is it," Evy announced as they reached a large chamber. "The Scrolls of Thebes must be in here somewhere."

Jonathan looked at the size of the room. It was enormous. "Looks like _all _the scrolls are in here somewhere," he said.

They began examining the writings, looking for some other form of index to find the scrolls. Minutes later Imhotep strode in, the stench of death filling the chamber.

"You test my patience," he said slowly, anger filling his deformed features. Weasler gave a whimper of fear behind him. "The Scrolls, _now_."

The shelves around them shook and began to collapse, their age forcing them to give out quickly under the force of the Mummy's small earth tremor. The three of them quickly moved out of the way, trying to grab as many scrolls as they could.

The shelves in the chamber created a vast labyrinth, and soon their enemies were lost. Unfortunately, so were they. Evy shook the lantern anxiously. It didn't have much oil left in it, and she had dropped her reserve in the panic.

"Too bad," Weasler's voice came from the edge of the column. "It appears this game is over."

Imhotep motioned two fingers at the Anubis shadows, and the demons closed in on them. The lantern flickered, and Evy shook it again.

"Oh, no!"

As the shadows advanced, light sparked from the side and headed straight for them. Rick and Jena appeared on the scene.

"I think we're headed into extra innings," Rick grinned.

They all gawked at Jena's glowing gaze of adoration at the American.

Rick and Jena threw the last of their bundles of explosives and erased two of the Anubis shadows. Three still remained.

"We're all out of party favors," Rick said when he realized he had used up all his dynamite. "Someone better come up with a new idea, fast!"

Jena ran at the demons, swinging her fists at them and trying to touch them in the hope that whatever repelled them from her would somehow disperse them. They were fast creatures, and they kept managing to dodge her while focused on the O'Connells.

Alex looked around the chamber for anything to help. He caught sight of several large mirrors on pedestals, scattered around entirety of the room. Remembering his vision, he knew there had to be something to shine light onto it.

"Alex!" his father shouted as he ran towards them. Behind the disk were five levers, each with a different color painted onto the stone handle.

"Reflective disks," he called out to his family. "They must be some sort of ancient lighting system."

"You're right; they're not the right style and design to be decorations of that time period," Evy replied, dodging an Anubis shadow. "The instructions should be on the wall nearby."

Turning and carefully dusting parts of the stone, his heart skipped a beat when he saw the symbol carved onto the wall.

"Okay, Greek," he took a deep, nervous breath. "I can do this. 'To light the… way… of knowledge… spin… spin the wheel… to the left'."

Seeing another stone disk inset into the wall, he attempted to turn it quickly. It grinded with age, and he had to use all of his strength. One of the shadows advanced on him as he turned back to the instructions. Jena quickly ran into the space between them and chased it away.

"Hurry up, I can't keep this up forever!" she yelled at him.

Surprised by the urgency and impatience in her voice, Alex nodded and faced the wall. "'And pull the'… something 'lever down'. Which lever?" Looking at the five of them, he yelled, "Hey, Mom! What does 'chrysafi' mean?"

"Gold!"

He tugged at the gold lever, but it was stuck. Seeing this, Jena rushed over and gave a well aimed leap to land right on top of it and then tugging it strongly. For a while, nothing happened.

"It's broken?" Alex cried in despair.

"No, I can hear stone moving. Give it time," Jena grabbed his hand and pulled him away from an Anubis shadow that preyed on him. Soon a piece of the ceiling fell away and sunlight flooded through a small gap, shining on the first disk and quickly bouncing all around the room, dispersing the shadows one by one until they were all gone.

"Alex, you did it!" Evy said proudly.

Rick moved defensively in front of his wife and son. "Find the Scrolls. We'll entertain the Mummy."

Evy took her son's hand and pulled him through the labyrinth of shelves, once again searching for the Scrolls of Thebes as Imhotep advanced on her family.

Rick attempted to fight him off with hand-to-hand combat, but after two seconds the Mummy picked him up by the arm and threw him into Jonathan. Jena took a running leap to shove her foot into his face, and managed to twist his head nearly halfway around his neck.

"Master!" Weasler said worriedly.

"Way to go, Jena!" Rick praised.

Imhotep gave a roar of fury as he took his head in his hands and forced it to twist back to the correct position.

Jena grimaced. "Ew," she said.

Weasler ran forward. "I found – " he broke off as he tripped over Jonathan's outstretched leg.

"Did _I _do that? Excuse _me_," the redhead said innocently.

Evy and Alex ran to where the Tau index led them, quickly reading the symbols on each part of the column.

"They should be right – "

Imhotep's fist pounded the stone wall, and dust and shingle flew everywhere as he raised his arm to strike her.

"Mom!" Alex took one step forward, and the Manacle glowed. Its energy caught some random scrolls and threw them as well as the partial shelf they were on towards the mummy. They wrapped themselves around both him and his accomplice before pulling them away forcefully.

"Wow," Alex said as the Manacle stopped glowing. "Wish I knew how I did that."

Jena, whose eyes had glowed golden for the incident, fell onto her hands and knees.

"Are you alright?" Evy asked anxiously.

"Yeah." Her voice was laced with pain, and her gaze went to her feet which had been badly burned and sliced up by her fall from the trapdoor. She had been bearing it until the fight with Imhotep was over.

Suddenly, the walls and columns began to shake.

"Earthquake," Rick said worriedly.

"We can't just leave these books," Evy protested. "The history!"

"Another minute and _we'll _be history," her husband caught her arms and pulled her with him to the passageway. "Come on!"

Easily picking up Jena and tossing her onto his back, he and the other three sprinted for the exit. Rocks and boulders came tumbling down all around them, and it wasn't soon enough that they saw the burst of daylight.

"Guess I won't be checking anything out of there after all," Jonathan said disappointedly, when they were clear of all the falling rubble.

"We were unbelievably lucky we didn't get crushed or caved in," Jena replied, almost sharply. "Why is _that _a big issue?"

Evy reached into her pocket and pulled out a scrap of ancient paper. "I found this in the slot meant for the Scrolls. It seems that Alexander the Great himself checked them out and never returned them."

Rick examined the paper. "Few thousand years of late fees would really add up."

"We need to find Alexander's lost dairies to find out what happened to them," Evy said. "They could be almost anywhere. He traveled all over Europe, through China, and into India."

"China?" Jena's head snapped up from resting on Rick's shoulder.

"Yes, have you been there?"

She was silent for a long moment, a blank look with a faint frown on her face. "No," she finally said. "No, I've never been there."

Alex sighed as they went to the Zephyr. "Guess this means I have a lot of studying to do," he said.

Watching from behind an upright boulder, Yue narrowed his eyes at the group. China… They had been lucky he was there to stop rocks from the landslide from extinguishing them, now they were going to _China?_ It had been a long time since any danger had arisen from that country… but if Jena somehow managed to go there, could he follow and protect her? Would he be _able _to protect her? Either way… it wasn't going to end like last time. Their whole family had been in danger. As the Megaro's target, she had been lucky to escape with her scars and a lost memory.


	3. Against the Elements

I still don't like that bit with Jena's dad and the river, but I'm too lazy to change it

**Against the Elements**

India

"Can you reach it, Mom?"

They were in an old Indian temple, and Evy was currently attempting to squeeze through a tiny gap to pick up an old book on the other side of the wall. They couldn't find the entrance to the other chamber anywhere.

"It's no use," she finally gave up. "The opening's too small."

Alex stepped forward to take her place. "Not for everybody," he grinned, excited about showing off in front of Jena again.

"And Alex, _please _don't muck about with anything else in there," his mother warned, seeing no other choice. "These ancient Indus temples are loaded with booby traps."

"Mom, I can handle this," he retorted, not liking her scolding in front of his secret crush. Then he saw the multiple skeletons in the dim light and quietly added, "I think."

Jonathan caught sight of a silver Buddha sitting not too far away, a glinting emerald embedded in its forehead. He grinned to himself.

"Now what's a beautiful statue like you doing in a ruin such as this?" he said to himself smugly. The ornament itself was too big to lift, but he would settle for just the jewel. He took a tool out of his jacket and said, "Now this won't hurt a bit."

"Almost… got it…" Alex stretched further through the crack. The Manacle on his wrist suddenly glowed and pulled the book towards him. He caught it deftly. "Sometimes you do come in handy." Pulling himself out of the crack, he proudly showed off his prize to his parents – and Jena. "I got it. The diary of Alexander the Great."

"Cool!" Jena admired as Evy opened it and skimmed over the pages.

"Remarkable! This details Alexander's daily life right through his conquests in Northern Egypt. There are several references to having the Scrolls of Thebes with him."

"Sure would be nice to lose this weird handcuff," Alex said. It got itchy a lot.

"It's not _weird_," Jena snapped, suddenly defensive. Credit for reaching the book had vanished. "Nothing belonging to me is weird!"

"Says the 11-year old who is stronger than most men," Rick grinned, his jest instantly putting a smile on her white face. She adored him.

There was a crash as the missing Englishman fell to the ground, a fist-sized emerald in his hand. Rocks began falling from the ceiling.

"Jonathan!" his sister and brother-in-law exclaimed, one scolding and the other condemning.

"What? What did I do?" he asked as the ceiling slowly descended onto them.

"Sometimes I wish I were an only child," Evy sighed.

Her husband was in agreement. As they sprinted for the exit, he said to his brother-in-law, "You're like a good luck charm – in reverse."

"I get blamed for everything," Jonathan complained as he picked up the jewel before running after them. Sharp metal spikes appeared all along the chamber walls, and Rick was the only one to notice.

"Everybody, get down!"

They all fell to the ground as the spears flew over their heads, and they crawled to the exit as fast as they could, four of them getting out safely.

"I just wanted one tiny keepsake. Must I be flattened for that?" Jonathan asked in panic. "Help!"

Alex grasped the diary and wedged it between the floor and the sinking rock. The coverings were stone, and it halted the ceiling long enough to pull Jonathan out of danger. After a moment, however, it gave out and was crushed.

"The diary!" Evy exclaimed in dismay. "It's gone…"

"Oh, yeah?" Alex asked smugly. "Nothing up my sleeve – tada!" He pulled out a piece of ancient parchment.

Jena looked at it in confusion. "_When_ did you have time to get that?" she queried.

Evy only ruffled her son's hair and began studying the paper as they exited the Indian temple. "It states here that Alexander the Great left the scrolls at the palace of Merneptah, in the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis."

"Excuse me," Jonathan interjected. "But isn't Egypt where all this trouble started in the first place?"

Rick was thinking of other problems. "Good time for the Zephyr to be out of commission. We'll need transportation."

They traveled to the nearest village, and Rick and Evy went off alone to find a way back to Egypt.

"Be back here in one hour," Rick commanded the trio. "And stay out of trouble," he added as he left them.

"He means you," Jonathan said to Jena, Jena said to Alex, and Alex said to Jonathan as they walked in the opposite direction to Rick and Evy.

"Hey, look at that," Alex pointed to a snake charmer along the road. A brown cobra rose from the basket, swaying its serpentine form seemingly to the music.

"This is the oldest trick in the book," Jonathan said, not amused. "The snake's not even real. Watch."

Snatching the flute from the charmer, he attempted to play a melody for the creature. It hissed in annoyance and arched its body.

"Of course, I could be wrong," the Englishman added worriedly as the serpent vanished back into the basket. Sounds came from the container, and after a moment the animal slithered out in defeat. A tawny colored mongoose poked its head into view, pleased with himself. It scurried out and leapt onto Alex' shoulders.

"Who is going to pay for my cobra?" the charmer demanded angrily, his accent strong.

Jonathan was forced to cough up, and they continued on down the street. The mongoose on Alex' shoulder chattered in a friendly way, and he scratched its head with his finger.

"I'm gonna call him Tut," the redhead stated.

"Remember what happened with your last pet?" Jonathan reminded.

The boy groaned. "One lizard gets loose in a crowded museum and you're marked for life."

Jena grinned. "I'd have liked to have seen that."

"It wasn't pretty."

"I can imagine," she frowned slightly. "Although I hate lizards."

"A mongoose is nothing but an overgrown rat," Jonathan complained. "A dirty little rodent like that will attack you the moment you turn your back."

Tut snarled at the man with hostility.

Alex chuckled. "Funny. Dad says the same thing about you."

His uncle scowled. "As the responsible adult here I suppose I should tell your parents."

"No, don't do that!" Jena pleaded. "Let's keep him a secret. It'll be fun. I like him; he's cute."

"Yeah, and remember how I saved you from becoming a pancake at the temple earlier?" Alex added. So it was agreed.

The hour passed quickly, and soon they met up with Rick and Evy before going to their transportation.

"When you said you had transportation, I assumed you meant it had four wheels and padded seats," Jonathan exclaimed as he attempted to balance on the back of the large elephant.

"Padded seats," Rick echoed. "Right. Wouldn't want you to get brain damage on such a long trip."

Alex laughed as he fed hay into his elephant's mouth and it lifted him onto its back with its trunk. "Come on, Uncle Jonathan. It'll be fun."

One of the beasts reared at Jena and trumpeted loudly. She giggled nervously. "I guess they don't like me. Go figure."

"Maybe if you and Alex shared one it'll be okay," Rick suggested, tying something together.

"That's okay," she declined. "I'll just run alongside you guys. If I get tired I'll share."

They set off eventually. Alex sat up straight on his elephant and put his arms out like an airplane as he overtook his parents. "Look, Dad. No hands." Tut squirmed inside his shirt and popped up for air, and he hurriedly pushed him back inside as his father sneezed.

"Oh, Ricky. Are you catching a cold?" Evy asked in concern.

"I don't think so."

Jonathan turned to look at Alex. "Perhaps you're allergic to something."

Rick sneezed again as his son pushed his new pet out of sight.

.

Egypt

"Where are my _Scrolls?_" Imhotep demanded Weasler, holding the human in the air with his evil energy.

"I have researchers scouring the world for any clue as to their whereabouts and a spy shadowing the O'Connells," Weasler replied nervously. "You just have to be patient, Master."

"Patient?" the high priest echoed, his face deforming into that of a wraith. Weasler cringed back into himself.

"Point taken. Three thousand years _is _long enough to wait." The energy surrounding him dissipated, and he scurried over to the Indian who had entered the chamber. "Sallah! Perfect timing. Have you met our lord and master, Imhotep?"

Energy threw him across the room. He groaned in pain and fear.

#~#~#

"Memphis is a bit further down the river, then inland," Evy was saying as she examined the map. They were sailing down the Nile on a homemade gondola, and Rick kept nervously looking at the moving bushes behind them.

"I think someone's following us," he said quietly.

"That's okay, it's just my dad," Jena reassured him, lying lazily at the front of the small craft with one hand trailing in the water. "He's nervous because I'm in Egypt again."

"I don't blame him, but are you sure it's him?"

She lifted her head and paused for a second. "Yeah," the arukatasu nodded. "It's his presence."

They continued down the river for a while before the young girl whispered to her partner in crime, "Hey, Alex. Can I have Tut for a minute?"

Alex automatically patted his shirt in search of the mongoose. "Don't you have him? He's not with me!"

"I thought you had him all along!"

They looked to the rear of the gondola, where Rick was steering, and watched in horror as Tut popped his head out of the American's satchel, munching on an apple. They both stopped breathing when Rick moved his hand into the bag in search of something, and Jena covered her eyes when he turned his head to look. Fortunately, Tut had scurried across the boat to Rick's other side, and missed him completely as the man sneezed. Tut ran across the craft toward Alex, still carrying the apple. The redhead took it while Jena hurriedly stuffed Tut into her shirt, and they were safe when Rick turned back to them. He sneezed again.

#~#~#

"Ah – shouldn't we be going?" Weasler asked hesitantly as he followed the high priest deeper into the tomb. "The O'Connells must be halfway down the Nile by now. If they get to the palace first, they'll get the Scrolls – "

"Their progress will be slowed," Imhotep interrupted decidedly. He said no more and, arriving at a golden case, he opened it slowly. A trident-shaped object that the human instantly recognized was inside.

"The Staff of Setesh!" Weasler exclaimed as Imhotep lifted it out. "With it you'll be able to control the elemental forces of nature!"

The priest gave him a deathly glare.

"O- of course, you already knew that," he laughed nervously, hoping he wouldn't die soon.

Lightning and energy swirled around the staff, and the ruby on the center thorn glowed blood red. A faint energy trail swarmed through the air, and if they had been able to follow it through the Egyptian countryside they would have watched it fly into the Nile, nearby the O'Connells.

"Are you _sure_ it's seaworthy?" Jonathan was looking worriedly at the crude barge they were on.

"Jonathan, it's a river," his little sister stated. "What could happen?"

Jena sat bolt upright, disturbing Tut from his rest. "Something's wrong. That's not ordinary water," she said.

"And what is it, Miss Smarty Pants?" the Englishman asked, thinking she was trying to scare him.

Suddenly a typhoon exploded from the surface behind them, and the head and neck of a huge water beast appeared. Alex dropped the apple he had rescued from Tut, and it rolled into the water.

"A sea serpent," Jena replied, her eyes wide as it roared and moved its head on a collision course with the gondola.

"Dive!" Rick ordered, and the five of them jumped into the water as the raft split into four pieces under the force of the beast's energy.

Jena, Alex and Evy surfaced first, followed by Jonathan. Tut poked his head out Jena's collar, and Alex scratched his head before pushing him back out of sight.

The four of them swam to the largest part of the barge that had survived and climbed out of the Nile, dripping wet. A tall form landed on it as well, and Jena looked up in shock.

"Papa?"

Yue didn't look at her, but held out his hand until a card appeared in it. He grasped it tightly and threw it into the air above his head.

"I call upon the spirit of the water, created under my jurisdiction and bound by our contract. _Release!_"

The card glowed, and a strange aura surrounded him as he leapt toward the beast and vanished into it. The two of them vanished under the river surface.

"Papa!" Jena called in anxiety.

"Hey, where's Dad?" Alex suddenly asked.

Rick suddenly surfaced a little way away, a whirlpool of water and energy surrounding him as he coughed and spluttered.

An arrow hit the side of the raft, a rope attached to it leading to the shore.

"It's Ardeth Bay!" Jonathan exclaimed.

"Hold on, my friends!" Ardeth cried out to them.

Alex quickly removed the arrow and wedged it into a more secure place as the Medjai pulled them to shore as quickly as he could.

"What about Rick – we have to change course!" Evy said, her eyes locked on her husband as he spun in the whirlpool countless times.

The serpent rose up from the river again, cutting Rick off from them. Yue was still inside it, his arms crossed in an X shape in front of him and his eyes closed in concentration. The beast roared and moved towards the broken raft.

Jena whispered something in a foreign language, and Tut ran from her to hide in Alex' shirt, whimpering.

A strange aura was surrounding the arukatasu. It was similar to the one her father had used, but so very much more terrifying.

She raised her head, and her eyes were glowing a pale blue as her body floated above the raft.

Yue extended his arms, dispelling the sea serpent after a brief delay and forcing it to fall back into the river. Wings sprouted from his back as he swooped over to Rick and pulled him out of the water before joining the other three, looking anxiously at his daughter.

"Hey, what's happening to her?" Alex asked him as the wind picked up around her. He nearly had to shout over the sound of it. Yue didn't answer, but quickly pulled out another card from the air.

"I call upon the spirit of the shield, created under the jurisdiction of the moon and bound by our contract. _Defend!_"

Jena screamed in fury. As she did, all the water from the Nile shot into the air and seemingly touched the sky. They all felt the force of the energy as it left the ground, even _through _the barrier that Yue established around them.

There wasn't a drop of water in sight.

"Unbelievable," Yue gasped in astonishment. "She was _this _strong? What was Lord Pharaoh _thinking?_"

A dark shadow appeared in the sky, growing larger as it neared the ground.

"Incoming!" Rick said, and the five humans automatically covered their heads with both arms as the water fell to the ground with a thunderous crash. Yue's shield took most of the force, and they didn't even get wet – wet_ter_ – from the impromptu monsoon.

"Jena!" Yue removed the barrier and leapt forward to catch his daughter as she fell.

Jonathan broke the silence they all held by mimicking his sister's earlier words. "'It's only a river, Jonathan. What could happen?'"

He was still complaining when they had set up camp for the night.

"I have sand in places I didn't even know I had," he muttered, emptying his shoe and climbing into his sleeping bag. It was a moment before he realized something was moving under the covers, and almost gave a scream before Tut appeared into the air and his nephew grabbed his pet.

"Perhaps I acted rashly," Yue was saying as Jena remained sleeping on his lap. His hand rested protectively on her head. "I suppose I… panicked when I saw the serpent. I was afraid it was a dragon for a moment, and I had to act quickly to get rid of it."

"But why is it so important that you should kill dragons?" Evy questioned.

The arukatasu wouldn't answer directly. "Inconsequential. If I hadn't intervened, perhaps she wouldn't have reacted so strongly." He paused. "As you noticed, my daughter is much stronger than me. And she cannot control what she does."

"Then why don't you help her?" she asked. "She told us that you won't."

"She must discover her power on her own. It is not my place to guide her."

"You're her father!"

"Do not mistake my meaning," Yue continued in a cold voice that matched the emptiness in his silver eyes. "I want nothing more than to help her control her power. But the decision is not up to me. _They_ decide when she is ready, and until then I can do nothing but protect her."

Rick and Ardeth appeared, carrying some boxes and bags.

"We were able to salvage some of the equipment, but from now on we're on foot," Rick told his wife.

"A sea serpent appearing out of thin air," Evy mused. "You know what _this _means, don't you?"

"I have a bad feeling you're about to use the word Imhotep."

"I'm afraid so," Ardeth said as he warmed himself at the fire. "My Medjai have informed me that Imhotep is on his way to the Palace of Merneptah after meeting with your Sherpa guide."

"Our _Sherpa_ guide?" Evy repeated.

"You can't trust anybody nowadays," Jonathan put in from his bed.

Yue looked deep into the fire. "Trust should be earned," he said in almost a whisper. "Trust should _always _be earned before it is given."

Rick didn't hear. "But even Imhotep doesn't have the power to summon up a sea serpent," he said. "Does he?"

"Not without some help," Ardeth said grimly.

"The amount of force that held the water together was equivalent to an heirloom of the ancient Pharaoh," Yue said.

A light clicked in Evy's head. "The Staff of Setesh," she said. "Imhotep must have discovered it and is using it against us."

Alex looked confused. "The Staff of Setesh?" he asked. "Is that relevant to the Manacle of Osiris?"

"Like all the heirlooms, they had the same creation method," Yue started speaking, although he looked at the campfire and didn't pay attention to anyone else. "Setesh was the Egyptian god of Chaos. His staff summoned the power to manipulate the four elements of nature. But it wasn't nearly as powerful as the Manacle."

They all looked at him in astonishment.

"How do you know that?" Evy asked.

The arukatasu suddenly looked up and saw them.

"My son tells me of Egyptian legends when I see him," he said. "He finds them interesting." He looked at his daughter's sleeping face. "You should go to Memphis. It is important that you get there before the high priest."

Jonathan sighed. "There goes _my _beauty sleep," he moaned as they began packing up.

"Will you come with us?" Ardeth asked Yue. "Your help and your power would be much in our favor."

He shook his head. "I will not interfere," he replied. "This is my daughter's battle, not mine."

"But if Imhotep gets the Scrolls of Thebes and then the Manacle, the entire world will be at his mercy," Evy protested. "You _must _see that affects you as well!"

"The Manacle in the hands of a mere high priest will not stand against my family," Yue said expressionlessly, focusing his cold silver eyes on her. "When it is used for the purpose of conquering then we are permitted to act. But until then, we cannot interfere with _katasu_."

Alex looked up at the foreign word, but Yue was already on his feet.

"I will make up for the time you lost, but that is all," he stated, and the aura of his power surrounded him. "Jena will catch up with you later, if she wishes."

Their vision flashed, and suddenly they were in a different part of the country.

Ardeth quickly examined the surroundings. "We are closer to Merneptah," he said. "Yue is correct; we should continue on."

"Stopping Imhotep is our first priority," Rick agreed. "We'll worry about Jena later. She's in good hands, for now."

They continued moving until dawn. Evy and Alex shared Ardeth's horse while the three men walked and carried what they could of the supplies, and Evy dismounted when the sun began to rise.

"We're here," she announced.

"And where might here be?" Jonathan asked skeptically, as there was no building in sight. "Since there is no 'here', here?"

"The desert has a way of reclaiming its own," Ardeth said.

"The entire city is buried under the sand?" Alex questioned.

"What's left of it," his mother explained, examining the map in her hands that she had been using to guild the group. "For the last three thousand years it has been ransacked for its stone and masonry to build other cities."

"So where do we dig?" Rick asked.

She examined the diary extract even more. "Alexander's penmanship isn't what it should be, but I believe the palace is right… there!" she pointed at the top of a building that was half-hidden by the desert.

"Good," her husband said, getting some explosives out of his bag.

"Richard!" Evy exclaimed as he set it up. "You could damage a find of significant historical importance! Not to mention the possibility that you could blow us all to kingdom come!"

"Evelyn, trust me!" he replied as the other three got behind some cover. "This is _not _my first 4th of July!"

He lit it, and the two of them ran to join the rest of their group behind the cover.

"Heads down!" Rick ordered, and the explosion sounded. They looked up to see most of the dirt cleared away and more accessible.

"Wow!" Alex said in amazement. "Hey, Dad. Can you teach me to do that?"

Evy sighed.

They began digging the sand still around the entrance, clearing enough space for the stone door to swing open. As Ardeth and Alex pulled away a tray of shifted earth, Jonathan leaned on his shovel and remarked loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Slave labor. That's what this is."

Both his sister and brother-in-law turned to give his a deathly glare while wiping perspiration from their faces.

Jonathan, who had barely done half what they had, quickly added, "Then again, a little hard work never hurt anybody."

When Rick went to get some water from his satchel, he sneezed again.

"It's something in our gear," he commented, searching for a handkerchief.

Alex suddenly noticed his father rummaging through his pet's new home. "Dad, wait!"

Suddenly disturbed, Tut darted out of the satchel and scampered quickly onto Alex' shoulders while hissing at Rick.

"Mom, Dad, I can explain," the guilty child said quickly.

"Alex, not again," Evy scolded. "This is no life for a pet. Not to mention your father's allergic to it."

"I know," he sighed. "I guess I was just lonely. Jena really liked Tut, and it was fun to share a pet with someone. Especially now that she's not here, he's the only friend I've got."

Ardeth hailed them from further down in the sand. "The entrance is clear!"

Setting the matter aside, Rick turned to go inside while saying, "We'll talk about this later."

Sighing despondently, Alex followed his parents to the entrance of the buried palace.

"That's our welcoming committee," Evy said, pointing to the four guards that had been carved in the stone. "The guardians of Merneptah. They were supposed to keep trespassers away from the palace."

"Works for me," Jonathan turned away. "Let's go."

Rick, however hesitantly, stopped him from leaving with a hand on his shoulder before he and Ardeth pried open the stone door. As it slowly groaned open, the party caught sight of Imhotep standing on the edge of the crater they had dug.

"I do so despise that Mummy," Jonathan muttered.

Imhotep reached inside his cloak and drew the Staff of Setesh. Speaking an incantation, he waved it towards the statue guards at the doorway. It took a moment, but the stone cracked and then shattered as the guards came to life and advanced towards them.

"_Now_ would be a good time for Jena's dad to show up," Rick commented dryly.

The four statues surrounded the five of them, while Imhotep and Weasler easily entered the palace through the door they had opened for them. The Mummy turned back before entered to give his lackey a command.

"Bring the boy. We will _separate_ him from the Manacle of Osiris."

Going around the guards, Weasler grasped Alex's wrist and dragged him away from the group.

"Dad!" he called out as he was pulled away.

"Alex!" Rick tried to catch his hand, but the statues wouldn't let him close enough. The two of them disappeared into the palace.

One statue pursued each of the unfortunate group. Ardeth's sword was completely useless to cut the stone, and Rick's dynamite was in his satchel – which he had dropped while trying to save Alex and a statue had flattened it.

One of the guards caught his shirt and threw him across the sand. While he painfully tried to pick himself up, Evy was about to be crushed by two of the stone giants. Acting quickly, he pulled out his bullwhip and threw its tail towards his wife. When it had wrapped around her waist, he yanked her out of the way just in time for the statues to walk into each other and crumble.

"Save the boy," Ardeth ordered, dodging the guard that attacked him. "We will deal with these creatures."

Rolling across the sand to avoid being flattened, Jonathan sat up and demanded, "What do you mean, 'we'?"

Rick and Evy ran into the palace, the remaining guards being occupied, and vanished. A small figure jerked the unfortunate redhead out of the way of being squashed again.

" 'We', as in, me and him," Jena defined for him.

Ardeth turned to Yue, who was standing a little way away with his arms folded and staring disapprovingly at his daughter. "You helped us with the sea serpent; won't you use your strength again?" the Medjai asked.

"I won't interfere," the arukatasu said stubbornly.

"He won't have to," Jena took a running leap and punched the head of one of the guards as hard as she could.

It halted for a brief moment.

"Owwwww," Jena wailed loudly, dancing around and nursing her injured hand while speaking a string of words in her native language.

"Jena…" Yue began.

"Hey! I can make a portion of the Nile disappear; I think I can handle two statues!" she protested.

Rubbing his temple slightly, her father slowly walked up to a statue and sharply tapped its arm with his knuckle. After a moment the arm crumbled, leaving the guard short an appendage.

"Show off," Jonathan muttered as the younger arukatasu grinned sheepishly.

"Jena, behind you," Yue said calmly.

"What?" she turned around and let out a yell, but tripped as she tried to escape and the remaining statue caught her and lifted her into the air. Its hand was the size of her body, so it crushed her completely as it squeezed its fist closed slowly.

Jena yelled in pain.

"Won't you even help your own daughter in danger?" Ardeth demanded.

Yue folded his arms again and frowned. "They won't let me," he said.

Suddenly, the girl screamed in rage. Whipping her arms open, the entire statue shattered in an instant. The final crippled guard took a step toward her, but she didn't even need to turn around. Waving one arm, it crumbled into dust.

"They weren't so tough," Jonathan began, but Yue's frown stopped him.

"Jena," Yue said sternly. "Jena!"

She didn't acknowledge him, instead walking into the palace.

"She lost control again," he said to the others. "_This _is why I didn't wish her to travel alone."

Inside the palace, Rick and Evy caught up with the Mummy. Imhotep let out another incantation, waving the staff in his hand, and a tornado appeared. The Mummy continued through the passageway to the throne room.

"It's the wind demon," Evy said, remembering legends about the staff. "It could destroy an entire city in minutes!"

"I don't think we have that long!" Rick called out, raising his voice over the noise, as they tried to hold on to something. The wind lifted them into the air, spinning them almost too fast to keep up. Alex was struggling to get away from his captor, and when Weasler wasn't expecting it he changed the direction of his force to knock into the man. Winded, the archeologist let go and Alex ran towards the tornado.

"Alex, stay back!" Evy cried, but her voice was lost over the roar.

Taking his belt, Alex held onto a stone and reached out his arm for his parents to grasp onto the makeshift lifeline. After several rotations where they missed, the Manacle glowed and, slowly, the wind began to lessen. Seconds later, the demon had been dispelled.

Getting off the ground where he had fallen and helping his wife to her feet, Rick said, "Sometimes you gotta love that Manacle."

In the palace throne room, Imhotep turned to the O'Connells as they entered.

"You are too late," he said, waving the staff again. "The fate of the world will be sealed."

Two dogs composed of flames materialized, barking as they advanced.

Rick pushed Alex behind him. "Your mom and I will keep Fido and friend busy; get the scrolls before Imhotep," he ordered. He and Evy drew the fire dogs away from him, but could do little against the burning flames but keep up a chase.

Imhotep smashed a vault open with his fists, and pulled out an ancient box. A little way away, Alex tried to think of a way to get it from him. Tut climbed out of his shirt, chattering in mongoose-language.

"Tut, got any ideas?" Alex asked.

The rodent scampered along the floor, leaping onto the box and distracting the Mummy for a moment and making him drop the Staff of Setesh. Imhotep made an impatient noise and threw Tut into the air. The animal fell onto a broken stone, hissing violently but unharmed.

A bright light entered the chamber, and Jena walking slowly in. She was frowning darkly, and her eyes glowed the same pale blue they had before.

"Jena!" Alex called out to her.

She didn't look at him. The dogs ceased their pursuit of Rick and Evy to chase the arukatasu, but as they neared the girl their flames were smothered and they vanished, as though a candle had been put out.

Jena continued advancing towards Imhotep. The Staff of Setesh, which had dropped to the ground when Tut distracted Imhotep, floated into her waiting hand. She raised it in the air before bringing it down and smashing it on the stone floor. The light of the jewel flickered and died.

"I will show you _power_," she said, although her voice sounded much stronger and deeper than it should have. She raised her hands, her palms facing up, and a small flame appeared to rest in each of them. Throwing her hands to each side, the fire spread and grew until the entire room was lit up like a furnace. The temperature rose so much so quickly that the O'Connells had to quickly leave the throne room. They were allowed to, but when Imhotep attempted to follow the flames walled off the exit.

Yue, Ardeth and Jonathan were waiting outside.

"What are you doing?" Alex demanded his friend's father. "Go in there and stop her!"

He looked at the boy as though he were insane. "What would you have me do?" he demanded. "She could easily kill me like this."

"You're her dad! Of course she wouldn't!"

Yue frowned. "She has no control over herself. She'll attack anyone."

"No," Evy disagreed, frowning. "Alex attracted her attention and she didn't react. She only attacked Imhotep, but let us leave before sealing the exit. She knows us."

The arukatasu stared at her incredulously. "In that state, she recognizes allies and friends?" he marveled. "Unbelievable."

They all waited for him to enter.

"Are you going in or not?" Rick demanded.

Yue glared at him. "You would not be so quick to judge me if you had my memories," he said angrily. "When I was learning to control myself, I nearly killed both my son _and _my wife when she defended him. You must _forgive_ my hesitation," he spat. Raising his hand, the card of water manipulation appeared and he walked in. They heard him call out his daughter's name in concern, and quickly the fire was extinguished.

The other five entered again, and Yue was holding his daughter's body. "She had already collapsed," he said.

"Where is Imhotep?" Ardeth questioned, looking around for signs of the Mummy.

"If she didn't kill him, he escaped."

"Where is _Weasler?_" Evy asked, realizing none of them had seen him in a while.

"Disappeared," Jonathan shrugged. "Must have escaped as well."

Evy went to lift the metal box Imhotep had "fetched" for them, but it was still too hot from Jena's flames and she dropped it with a cry.

"Take her," Yue said to Rick, handing the unconscious girl to him and going towards the box.

Thinking he was going to cool it with his water, Evy protested, "You can't cool hot metal too fast, it'll-" She trailed off when Yue lifted the box with his bare hands and opened it.

"No Scrolls?" Jonathan demanded when he saw it was empty. "You mean I was almost drowned, trampled and barbequed, and the Scrolls _aren't even here?_"

"Where to, now?" Alex asked his mother.

"We follow Alexander's path," she said. "Greece, Armenia, Asia Minor. Wherever we have to go to find the next clue."

"There's that word 'we' again!" her brother protested.

"What about Jena?" was Alex' next question, directed at Yue. "Will she be okay?"

"My daughter needs rest," Yue responded stoically. "I will take her home."

"Will she come back and see us?"

"No. My daughter's quest is over."

"No," came her weak voice as consciousness grasped her feebly. "I'm staying with them. I still can't remember anything."

"You can't even control your own abilities; you can't even protect yourself!"

"I'll be fine," she said quietly. "I have friend's who'll take care of me."

Yue was about to make another comeback, but then stopped. Rubbing his temple again and closing his eyes, he suddenly was angry. "Fine. Spend your time on a fool's errand. The next time you get yourself into trouble, I will _not _get you out of it. If you die or kill one of your so-called 'friends'then so _be_ it!"

Spreading his wings he turned and flew away, traveling through the stone and sand as if they weren't there. There was a silence when he had gone, and Jena smiled weakly as she rested her head on Rick's shoulder.

"What about Tut?" she asked him quietly. "Can we keep him?"

Remembering the mongoose's distraction had cost the Mummy his staff, Rick admitted, "I think he's earned his keep."

"Yes!" Alex leapt into the air.

"But what about your sneezing fits?" Evy asked with concern.

"If I can get used to Jonathan, I can get used to anything."

"Oh, ha-ha," the Englishman said sarcastically. "That's gratitude for you."


	4. The Deep Blue Sea

Ugh... the first episodes are all so boring. I promise it gets better

**The Deep Blue Sea**

Greece

"Since we already know the Scrolls of Thebes were part of the _Athena's_ cargo, we just need to find the ship's logs to figure out where they were dropped off," Rick was saying as Evy read an ancient document that was displayed beside the quay. "Skip ahead to the part about the Scrolls."

"Perhaps _you _would like to try your hand at ancient Greek Linear B typography," his wife retorted, continuing her examination of the stone.

"Thanks. I'll wait for the movie."

"This says the warship _Athena's_ home port was the city of Minosos," Jena read before Evy could speak again. They all looked at her. "What?" she asked. "You've taught me all those words over the last two weeks except the name of the city, and _that _doesn't get translated."

"Yes, well," Evy said, surprised again at how quick a study her second pupil was, she continued. "Unfortunately, Minosos no longer exists and its exact location is a mystery. The text says the city was swallowed by the sea at around 400 BC."

"Swallowed by the sea?" Alex asked. "How?"

Evy translated the next part. " 'The earth shook, the clouds darkened, the flood waters rose, and the hand of Zeus came crashing down'."

At that instant a purple, undead fist smashed through the text and startled them all. Shards of rock came flying towards the group, and Jena instinctively shattered them with her fists to block them. She winced afterwards at the pain.

"Give me what is rightfully mine," Imhotep demanded, advancing on Alex and the Manacle of Osiris. He raised his hand to strike out, and Rick used his whip to catch his arm. Imhotep swung his arm wide, overpowering the American and pulling him to the ground.

"Now would be a good time for testing your new powers, Jena," Alex said hopefully.

The arukatasu brandished her jungle knife and smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Doesn't work like that."

When Imhotep went to attack Evy, she hurled the blade toward him. It landed dead in his chest, and he hesitated before tugging it out and tossing it aside.

"You've gotta be kidding," Jena murmured before diving for it.

A purple force gathered in Imhotep's hand as he began another attack. Alex stepped around his mother in attempt to protect her, and the Manacle on his wrist glowed brightly. When his hand clashed with the Mummy's, both of them were thrown backwards.

"Alex!" Evy cried, rushing over to him. He had hit a stone column, but was more concerned with how it happened.

"Did you see that? _I _did that!" he said excitedly. "I'm just not sure how."

"Great, let's leave the post-game analysis until later," Rick said, hurrying the group away before Imhotep recovered from the Manacle's effects. Golden energy was flitting over him statically, and it looked like it would be a minute before he could get up.

He and Alex ran to the car they had rented, but Evy staying behind.

"Evy, now is not the time for a long goodbye!"

"I'm coming," she said, examining the broken pieces of the wall. "But we _must _find the location of the lost city!"

Jena was thinking the same thing. "Bring it with us," she suggested, gathering a few rocks into her arms quickly. The two of them brought what they could and ran to the car, and Rick instantly leaned on the accelerator as soon as they were in.

They drove for a few minutes before Jena said, "No sign of a whirlwind. I think we're safe."

"Imhotep's like a bad rash, showing up where you least expect him," Rick said darkly.

"Weasler must have found another copy of Alexander's diary," Evy commented. She examined the rock fragments she and Jena had lifted. "Nothing," she sighed. "No location of the city."

"Even if we _did _find the city, locating the logs would be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Don't you mean a needle in a needle-stack?" Jena asked in confusion. "Because it'd be _much _more difficult to find a certain needle in a pile of needles, than to find a sharp, pointy metal stick in a bundle of hay."

The two adults laughed. "It's an expression, kid," Rick explained.

"Exp-ress-shone," the girl repeated, trying to remember what the English word meant. "Isn't that something that makes no sense, but people use it to explain things anyway?"

"Yeah, something like that."

Alex picked up a stone that Jena had been examining. While he was looking at it, the characters glowed golden and his vision changed.

He was standing outside an ancient library on a familiar island. Walking inside, he passed by several scrolls until finding the _Athena's_ ship log. When he picked it up, the huge building began to tremble and a rumbling came as the entire city detached itself from the mainland. Some of the ornamental statues crumbled, and the ceiling collapsed as water filled the building.

And then it was over. He was back in the car with Jena and his parents.

Jena grimaced and rubbed her head as the golden glow left her eyes.

"Minosos was on the coast of Crete," Alex said. "I even know where the _Athena's_ records were kept."

"How would you know that?" Evy asked, turning her head.

"He's right," Jena backed him, blinking a few times. "I saw the vision, too. I know where they are."

"Alex, that's fantastic," his mother beamed, patting his knee as she couldn't reach his head. "The Manacle comes in handy sometimes, I have to admit."

"So we know what we want and where to find it," Rick summed up. "All we need now is a way to get to a city 20,000 leagues under the sea."

"Perhaps I know a way," his wife smiled to herself.

An hour later, the three O'Connells were standing on a seaside dock. The sun shone down on them warmly as Evy inhaled.

"Ah… don't you just love the smell of the salty air?" she enthused.

"Sure," Rick replied. "As long as it's coming from a pretzel factory."

Jena burst out of the ocean's surface and, treading water, said, "You guys won't believe this! The biggest, strangest fish ever is about to surface!"

"Shouldn't you get out of the water?" Alex asked. "Not being paranoid or anything, but you know what happened last time you were on a river – hey, a submarine!" he broke off and pointed at the machine rising out of the water.

Jena pulled herself out of the sea and climbed up the pier to stand beside them, saying, "A submawhat?"

"It's like a boat that sails underwater…" he turned to look at her and trailed off. "You're not even wet from the water."

She blinked in surprise. "No, I dried already. Why?"

"Never mind."

Rick looked at the sub in distaste. "Please don't tell me that rusty old tin can is our ride."

Evy smiled as the machine pulled up to dock beside the pier. "I remember reading in one of my archeological journals about a young Greek adventurer. He specializes in deep-sea excavation."

The hatch on top of the sub opened, and the Greek youth appeared from within. He couldn't have been more than 25, and was very handsome.

"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice heavily accented.

"This," Alex took a step forward. "Is the neatest thing I've ever seen!"

"I _know_!" Jena echoed enthusiastically.

The youth grinned charmingly and jumped onto the pier. "Allow me to introduce myself," he said with a strong Greek accent, taking Evy's hand and kissing it. "I am Dimitri Helios. And you are?"

"I'm Evy O'Connell," she replied, smiling a return greeting. "This is my husband Rick, my son Alex, and his friend Jena."

"Evy O'Connell," Dimitri repeated, as if he had heard wrong. "_The _Evy O'Connell? The archeologist? It's an _honor _to meet you." He stepped closer to her and kissed her hand again.

"I'm flattered, Mr. Helios," she laughed, charmed, as Rick possessively stepped between them and placing his arm securely around his wife's waist. "I was wondering if we could interest you in a scientific adventure. We're looking for the lost city of Minosos."

"Minosos, eh?" Dimitri asked, seeming amused. "Many have searched, but no one has found it."

"But we have one thing they didn't have," Alex said proudly. "A map."

"And what's in it for me?" the sailor asked.

"The quest for knowledge is its own reward," Evy said, her eyes gleaming.

"Oh, good," Dimitri said, humor lilting his voice. "For a minute I was worried you were going to offer me money."

Jena giggled.

Then Dimitri added, "For a chance to see Minosos, and to work with Evy O'Connell, I would gladly pay a king's ransom," he gestured to his submarine. "Climb aboard."

"Awesome!" the arukatasu sang, springing up the ladder nimbly followed by Alex and then Evy.

"Are you ready for an adventure, my friend?" the sailor asked Rick.

"I was born ready," was the American's reply, and they shook hands. "Hey, kids, want to help me with the gear?"

He turned to see both Alex and Jena climbing excitedly into the hatch to explore the inside.

"I guess I can get it myself," Rick said to no one, a slight frown on his face.

They sailed on the surface for a couple of hours, and Dimitri showed Alex and Jena how to steer.

"That's it, keep her steady," he guided Alex as the boy proudly drove the submarine. Tut popped his tawny head out his lifejacket. "Very good. The sea is naturally in some men's blood."

"It's _so _my turn next," Jena demanded, enjoying the wind in her hair. The bright sunlight made the silver highlights shine brightly as she stared admiringly at the handsome Dimitri.

A few feet behind them, Rick asked his wife, "What's he got that I haven't got?"

"Besides a submarine?" Evy replied dryly, smiling at his expression.

"Oh, no!" Alex' voice interrupted them, and he pointed at the whirlwind ahead of them. "Look!"

"It's only a water spout," Dimitri said calmly.

"What did you say?" Rick asked, moving up to the controls to look.

"A water spout. It is no problem; it is a natural occurrence."

"That's no water spout."

Jena agreed. "Yeah, nothing natural about it."

"What is it, then?" Dimitri asked, confused.

"Trouble," Rick said firmly. "Dive."

Evy was already climbing into the hatch, and Jena was following. Rick had to lift Alex away from the controls and set him inside to tear him away, and Dimitri watched in shock as the "water spout" morphed into a monster reaching for the sub. Climbing below quickly, he prepared to dive the submarine as Rick closed the hatch tightly.

"Aw…" Jena sighed dejectedly. "I didn't get to steer."

The sub lowered itself into the water, moving deeper as quickly as they could. Then there was a banging coming above them as dents appeared on the hull.

"This is impossible!" Dimitri insisted. "He's tearing the hull apart! No human could do such a thing!"

"Did we mention there's a 3,000 year old mummy after us?" Alex asked.

"I think we forgot that part," Jena said nervously.

The banging continued as they moved deeper than the sailor usually liked.

"We must increase the dive rate," Dimitri fiddled with the controls quickly. Jena's hands shot up to cover her ears and she winced painfully as the sailor commented worriedly about the pressure. If they dove too deep the sub would implode on itself. If they _didn't_, Imhotep would rip open the hull and they would drown.

"Dead if you do, dead if you don't," Rick muttered as they moved into deeper waters too quickly.

Water suddenly burst from a pipe beside Alex, spraying all over the small cabin. Jena curled into a tiny ball, a muffled scream coming from the back of her throat. Her ears were very sensitive.

Suddenly the banging stopped. Looking out the window, Alex saw him float slowly upwards. "He let go!" he announced.

"Guess even a mummy can't take that kind of pressure," Evy said.

"Excuse me, but aren't those mountains?" Rick asked, looking out a window up ahead.

Dimitri was struggling with the controls. "Can't pull out of the dive in time," he said. "Everyone brace yourselves!"

There was a sharp jolt as the sub hit the rocks, grinding for a moment before bouncing off it slightly. Dimitri had completely lost maneuvering capabilities.

"The bow plane must be bent," he said darkly.

"Can't you throw this thing into reverse?" Evy asked, clutching something on the wall so she wouldn't be thrown onto the ground.

"At this speed and depth? That would rip the sub apart!"

"Okay, bad idea," she chided herself.

"Maybe I should stick out my leg and drag my foot," Rick suggested sarcastically.

A light clicked in the sailor's mind. "That's exactly what we'll do!"

He fixed the controls to dive again, and the sub hit the rocky mountains and, eventually, grinded to a halt and hanging dangerously over the edge of the ravine.

"Dad, did you see that?" Alex asked his father excitedly. "Isn't Dimitri the most amazing guy you've ever met?"

"Sure he is. Then again, I _did _give him the idea," Rick replied as his son hurried over to Jena. The arukatasu hadn't grasped anything when they hit the mountains, and had been thrown violently around the cabin until they stopped. As if that weren't bad enough, blood was trailing out both her ears.

"Jena, are you all right?" Evy asked worriedly.

"I think so," she replied, uncurling out of the stiff ball she had been in. "It was just the speed we were diving, I guess. I'm fine, now."

"We'll get you to a doctor just as soon as we get back on the surface," her adopted mother promised.

"_If _we get back," Rick added not loud enough for her to hear, rounding on Dimitri.

The submarine shifted slightly, half hanging off the rocks as the five of them gathered on the side they needed to weigh down until they thought of something. Unfortunately, the controls were at the end and inaccessible.

A bolt flew off its place at the other end, and water seeped in to the cabin. Rick went to see if he could fix it.

"Wait," Dimitri commanded. "If we rock the sub and it overbalances, we could sink down to the abyss. Inside an underwater trench like that, the pressure would increase until it crushes the hull like a tin cup."

"Okay, I vote everyone stays on this side," Alex said.

"I'd love to, but someone needs to fix that leak," Evy said, watching as the flow slowly increased. The entire floor was covered, now, and the level was slowly creeping upwards to their ankles.

Jena hesitantly spoke up. "I'm the lightest. I'll do it."

"Either we let her try, or we learn to hold our breath permanently," Rick stated.

"Just _please _be careful, Jena," Evy begged. "Very careful."

"Walk slowly," Dimitri warned. "No sudden moves."

Jena carefully took steps towards the leak, the water sloshing at her bare feet. "Cold," she murmured. It was black, too, and she half-wished her father would show up outside to rescue her like he always did.

"Repair kit is in the cabinet to your left," the sailor whispered, as if the sound of his voice would tip them over the edge.

Jena stepped left and opened the cupboard, picking out a couple of instruments. Then she turned her head to the side, as if listening to something far away. She said something in her own language that no one understood.

"What is it?" Evy asked.

"That energy presence belongs to the High Priest," she said worriedly. "He's summoning a beast to deal with us."

She continued with the repair, using a blowtorch to weld the hole closed. Soon she was finished, and stood up to ensure there was no water still leaking in.

"Done," she announced, taking a step back. The sub rocked dangerously, and she hurried to safety. The water splashed as her feet hit against it, and she suddenly slipped and fell, rolling back to the dangerous sector. The sub rocked again before sliding downwards.

"Hurry to this side!" Dimitri rushed her. Jena didn't even get back on her feet, instead crawling through the icy water as the sub continued to sink. She winced again with the pressure, but they only sank a short distance before becoming lodged by the front and the back of the sub. After a moment, they settled.

Dimitri let out a sigh of relief. "It looks like we're stable, for the moment," he said.

"Look," Evy announced to them all, staring out the window.

Everyone tried to get a good view of what she was seeing.

"The lost city."

It was barely visible in the dim light, but it was definitely a city. The largest building was at the highest point, and Alex and Jena recognized it as the library of records.

Another part of the wall broke, and more black water poured in to the cabin as Rick asked, "Any idea how we get there?"

Dimitri nodded, going over to a larger cabinet at the rear of the cabin. "A friend of mine has been working on these," he said, indicating three air containers and body suits inside.

"It looks like a regular attached to a pressurized air tank," Rick said, not understanding.

"It's called a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus," the Greek explorer explained. "Scuba, for short."

Alex hurried over excitedly. "You mean with one of these we can breathe underwater?" he asked with amazement.

"For a limited time, yes," he looked at the party of adventurers. "It seems I'm two scubas short. I will swim to the city in search of the information you seek. Rick and Alex will repair the bow plane. Evy will remain in the sub and seal the leaks. Agreed?"

"Not agreed," Rick opposed. "It's your sub and _you _need to be here to fix it. And I'm not letting Alex, Evy or Jena get too far from the ship, so _I'm_ the logical choice to go to the city."

Dimitri shrugged and nodded, figuring he could always return to the city on his own later on.

Alex drew a map to the place he had seen the ships log, aided by Jena who had a better memory.

"What if this vision of yours was wrong?" Dimitri asked.

"Hasn't been so far," Rick said. "I say we trust it."

He placed the map in a watertight container as the three males suited up. Jena was disappointed not to go, but Rick and Evy were adamant that she stay in as little danger as possible. If her powers unexpectedly activated it would be better for her to be inside the sub, as she wasn't likely to destroy the only safe place in sight.

The three boys suited up, and they opened the hatch on the floor of the submarine. Jena didn't understand why the water didn't rush into the cabin, and Evy had to explain quickly.

"Radio transmitters in our helmets allow for limited communication with each other and the sub," the sailor explained, his voice sounding hollow from inside his helmet.

"Alex, that means you'll have to stay close to Dimitri at all times," Evy lectured. Her son tried to nod inside the suit.

"So _lucky_," Jena moaned as they jumped out the hatch and into the deep waters.

Rick immediately set off for the ancient city, while Alex followed Dimitri to the rear of the submarine to fix the bow plane. It was completely bent. They were only gone for ten minutes before Jena, holding the welding equipment for Evy, suddenly ran to the window.

"Jena, what – "

"Remember I felt the High Priest's energy?" the arukatasu asked. "Looks like he woke a sea monster."

Pausing her work, the English woman ran to look out the window at the great beast swimming out of the abyss and directly towards the sub. She gasped and instantly ran to the radio.

"Alex, Dimitri!" she yelled into it. There was only static as a response. "Alex, get out of there!"

Jena banged on the wall with her hand, looking out the window at them. "Alex!"

Evy picked up a piece of metal and began banging the wall close to where the pair were working. Hearing it outside, both of them looked up.

"The banging sounds like Morse Code," Dimitri said, pausing their work.

"Yeah, 'danger…'" Alex hesitated. " 'Behind'!"

They both looked down just in time to see the green scaled beast and its giant teeth, and quickly swam to the other side of the sub. The beast didn't notice them at first, swimming around the other side, but suddenly caught sight of one of their flippers and a chase began. The demon swam up to an overhanging rock, and rammed its body into it hard to break it. The boulder fell to them, seemingly trapping both of them between it and a piece of the wall that was jutting out below the sub.

The beast turned and left them, heading towards the city.

Alex crawled out from between the two rocks, followed by Dimitri. His air tank was leaking bubbles that danced anxiously towards the surface.

"Dimitri!"

The redhead caught his arm and swam with him back to the sub. The Greek sailor climbed up into the hatch again and breathed thankfully.

"Are you alright?" Jena asked with concern.

"Where's Alex?" Evy demanded.

"He was right behind me," Dimitri said, peering into the hatch again.

Jena took a deep breath and ducked her head into the cold water. After a minute she pulled herself upright again. Water droplets instantly absorbed into her skin and she was dry in a second.

"He's gone to Minosos," she said.

Unfortunately, with the third scuba suit's air tank broken, they couldn't follow him. Dimitri made them continue sealing the sub as he tried to fix a piece of the controls. He could only hope they had done enough to the bow plane.

"I can't keep up with all the leaks," Evy said eventually, after several vain attempts to fix a particular one.

"We must pump out the water somehow," Dimitri replied. "Otherwise we'll be too heavy to surface if," he broke off suddenly and amended his statement. "_When _your husband and son return."

Swimming into the hall of records, Rick followed the map into the niche Alex had circled.

"Bet Mr. Submarine couldn't have found the logs this easily," he muttered to himself, reaching out a hand to touch the Greek tablets. He examined it before lifting it, seeing it was propped up against something. "Thought so. Booby trapped."

Before he could fix it, he heard shrieking coming from behind him. Turning, he was shocked to see a huge beast swimming towards him. Grabbing a fallen pillar, aided by the weightlessness of the water, he directed the end of the stone towards the demon's torso. It shrieked again, slowed.

Alex, having hitched a quick ride to the city on the back of a manta ray, entered the chamber and took opportunity of the beast's delay to swim up to it and cover its head with a vase he had picked up on the way in.

"Alex?" Rick exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw fish-face coming after you, so I thought you could use a hand," Alex explained.

The sea monster smashed its head against the stone floor, shattering the vase. It instantly targeted the boy as he attempted to swim out of the room.

"So much for my escape plan," knowing he couldn't out-swim the beast, he turned and aimed his wrist toward it. "Come on, help me out here!" he pleaded with the Manacle.

Rick followed, knocking a decorative statue onto the monster and trapping it.

"Follow me!" he commanded his son.

"Where?"

"Trust me!"

The two of them swam towards the _Athena's_ logs, and Rick took his oxygen tank off his back and loosened the screw holding the air.

"Alex, when I lift the tablets, be ready for anything to happen," he warned.

Alex nervously watched the monster free itself of the statue and head straight towards them.

Rick lifted the stone logs, and instantly a wall began to lower over the entrance to seal them in.

"Hop aboard, son. This ship is setting sail." He completely unscrewed the end of his oxygen tank and directed the burst or air to shoot behind them. Alex grasped his father's shoulders tightly as the jet of air sent them rocketing towards the closing entrance.

"We're not gonna make it!"

"Yes, we are," Rick said confidently, and as they neared the gap they _just _managed to slip through it. The wall lowered behind them, sealing the demon inside the collapsing chamber.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Alex unclipped one of his oxygen tubes and connected it to Rick's mouthpiece. The two of them shared his oxygen on the rather relaxing swim back to the sub.

"I'm so glad you're both alright," Evy fretted as they burst out of the submarine's lower hatch. "You were both very brave."

"Like father, like son," Alex grinned.

Rick had hardly taken off his scuba helmet when Jena launched herself towards him and caught him in a bear hug. She was rattling off relief-filled sentences in a mixture of her own language and English.

"The pumps have expelled enough water," Dimitri said from his seat at the helm. "How do you Americans say? 'Here goes nothing'."

"That was some adventure," Rick said, going to shake his hand as they slowly began their ascent.

"Sure beats scraping barnacles," the sailor agreed.

"Up for some not-so-light reading?" the American asked his wife as he handed her the tablets.

"The _Athena's_ logs! You found them!" Evy threw herself into his arms before taking the stones and sitting down to examine them. "Imagine if they lead us to the Scrolls of Thebes! I suppose I have some translating to do."

Their ascent was pleasantly uneventful, and Jena was glued to the window as she watched the fish in amazement. Alex stayed near her, watching from another window as the surface neared bit by bit. Rick approached him.

"Alex, I guess I've been feeling a little jealous lately," he began. "I mean, I know I'm no Dimitri, but…" he trailed off.

"You're right," Alex said. "You're better."

"You got that right," Jena agreed, looking away from the window to grin at them.

Rick smiled, somewhat relieved that his son didn't think he was boring, and the submarine finally emerged from the water. The hatch was opened and Jena thankfully burst into the fresh air. It seemed she was claustrophobic if she spent too much time in confinement.

Yue was on the roof of a nearby building as he watched the vessel as it sailed into port to release its passengers. His arms were folded tensely, and one finger kept tapping impatiently.

A woman appeared behind him. She looked remarkably like Jena, although her hair was longer and she had bangs cut short above her eyes. Her clothes were similar to Yue's; long and with loose fabric that lifted gently with each breeze. She placed one hand on Yue's tense arm.

"Still watching her?" Jena's mother asked.

"I don't like that she is unprotected and unable to control her agents," Yue replied without turning to his wife.

"Umar," Chione smiled and shook her head. "You said you'd leave her be. Let her figure out some things by herself."

"You shouldn't call me that in the open. It's not safe."

"You think _he's _still alive? After all this time?" She released her husband's arm and turned. Her feathery wings sprouted from her back and she stretched them before hovering slightly. "I commend your attentiveness, _Captain_, but I think it's alright now."

Chione flew away, returning home.

Yue continued to watch his daughter as she and the O'Connells walked up the pier and into the town. He had neglected to tell his wife about the High Priest that had been half-returned to life, nor had he mentioned the Manacle of Osiris. The danger may not have been _him_, but it was still present. And… even if _he _was dead, his master was not. Ages were not enough to kill people like them.

Jena suddenly looked up, straight at him, and he created an illusion around himself. He was a father, after all, and he would continue to watch her… when she thought she was on her own.


	5. Eruption

Yeah... I don't really like Ishi. Is it obvious?

**Eruption**

Turkey

"Oh, no!" was what Alex yelled as he and his mother hurried down the mine shaft in a runaway train wagon carriages. Evy was clutching an ancient book she had been chasing and had retrieved hidden in the mine. Unfortunately, success had been short-lived as unexpected complications happened. "Looks like we've got company!"

"Stop! I command you!" Imhotep yelled, in a wagon behind them.

Tut made chattering sounds from Alex' shoulder. "He doesn't really expect that to work, does he?"

"I think he's about to become more persuasive," Evy replied. "What on earth could be keeping your father?"

Imhotep flung a fireball towards them, and they both ducked. The mummy leapt out of his cart and grabbed the end of one on their train, running a few steps on the tracks and jumping into the final cart. Only one carriage lay between him and them.

On another track higher up in a pair of wagons, Rick was wrestling with a two-headed guardian beast.

"And I thought _Imhotep_ was ugly," he muttered.

"Now would _not _be the time to insult the Brothers' Ugly, thank you very much," Jonathan replied from the other carriage. Jena jumped out of it and kicked one of the monsters' heads. It clicked painfully and fixed itself.

"What are these things _made _of?" she exclaimed in frustration.

The train burst out of the tunnel into an arena of open space, where the tracks were held up by stilts. The three of them heard Evy's concerned voice call out Rick's name. Jena looked over the edge of the carriage and grinned before leaping over the side. She fell through the air for about three seconds before landing deftly in the wagon between Imhotep and the Englishwoman.

Rick smashed the guardian's two heads together before grasping it by the bandages around its torso and hurling it overboard.

"Ooh," Jonathan grimaced as he watched it bang into one of the wooden stilts on its journey downwards. "That's going to leave a mark."

His brother-in-law grabbed his arm and, when the two wagons were about five meters apart, the two of them jumped off the carriage to fall into Evy's train beside Jena. Rick was the unfortunate one who landed in the same compartment as Imhotep.

In the first carriage, Alex looked ahead. "Dad, headache!" he called out in warning, seeing the low-hanging rock above the tracks.

Understanding his son, Rick fell to his knees in mock surrender. "Oh, great mummy, please have mercy on me," he said, holding his hands in a false plea.

"Prepare to meet your doom!" Imhotep spat, raising a hand to strike him. He was so focused on the abomination in front of him that he didn't notice the rest of the party duck, and the rock smacked his head at full force and knocked him over.

"You first," Rick grinned, jumping into the next carriage.

"Uh-oh, new problem," Jena exclaimed, pointing to the broken tracks ahead. There was a chasm of at least twenty meters caused by an explosion of some kind long ago.

"Big problem," Evy echoed.

"Everybody grab on," Rick ordered, taking his whip out of a satchel attached to his belt. The other four held on to him tightly as he swung the whip and caught it on a nearby stilt. The five of them jumped out of the wagon and swung onto a lower track. They all heard Imhotep's roar of outrage as he fell with the train several hundred feet.

Jena eagerly looked down to where the carriages fell, and was disappointed to see the mummy throw the wreckage off himself. "How is he doing this?" she demanded no one in particular. "No one's that tough!"

"Let's move," Rick said, leading them all down the tracks towards the mine's exit. Ten minutes later, they were safely in the open air again.

"Please tell me we didn't come to Turkey on a wild goose chase," Jonathan complained, swiping dust from his suit.

"Far from it," Evy opened the book in her hands with a delighted expression. "These are the naval records of Lord Haverford, formally of the Royal Navy. He built these mines – he even lived here."

"Okay, I give up," her older brother sighed. "What does a batty sailor living in a cave have to do with the Scrolls of Thebes?"

"Haverford served under Captain James Cook. These records prove what I suspected all along; namely that Cook had the scrolls with him when he founded a new English colony. So we need to go there."

"Which one?" Rick asked, fearing he already knew the answer.

"Australia," his wife mumbled sheepishly.

"Great, where's that?" Jena asked eagerly.

"The other side of the world," Rick said, now in a bad mood.

"Isn't that the one with the giant rats?" Jonathan asked.

"Kangaroos, Uncle Jonathan," Alex corrected with a grin. "They're called kangaroos."

"Well, we better get going," Rick sighed. "Oh – almost forgot to lock up."

He threw a lit dynamite into the mine's entrance, and the rock came crashing down to seal Imhotep inside. It wouldn't stop him, but at least it would buy them some time.

#~#~#

The five of them got back to the Zephyr and headed for Australia as soon as they were set to leave Turkey. Late that night, when everyone but Rick was asleep, Alex had a dream caused by the manacle. He was on a mountainside in a hot climate, with exotic plants littering the surroundings. A dark-skinned girl wearing a ceremonial golden headdress was ahead of him, walking up the mountain.

"Stop!" Alex called out to her, and she half turned to give him a partial view of her face.

Outside of the vision, he got out of his bed and began sleepwalking out of the room. Tut, disturbed by his sudden disappearance, jumped over to Evy's bunk and tugged on her hair until she woke up. Seeing Alex disappear, she quickly got out of bed and followed him.

"Alex!" Evy ran to stop him opening the compartment's exit door and falling out. Shaking him awake, he looked a little disorientated.

"Where am I?" he asked sleepily.

"Inside the Zephyr," his mother replied.

"Whoa – that vision was really strong," Alex rubbed his head. A thud came from the bunk room, and they hurried to see Jena lying in the middle of the floor. She was wiping sleep from her eyes as they entered.

"Jena, are you alright?" Evy asked with concern. Rick had left his piloting station to see what the commotion was about.

"Yeah, fine. Weird dream," the arukatasu replied.

"You were on a mountain in fog?" Alex asked.

She nodded. "And there was a girl walking up it."

"Same as me," he said. "I was following her."

"Almost right off the Zephyr," Rick said. "That next step would have been quite a doozy."

Thunder rolled from outside, and the room lit up momentarily.

"Should we be flying in this storm?" Jena asked.

"We've were halfway over an ocean when it started," Rick explained. "I've been heading for the first place to land, but it's taking a while. I'm flying as low as I can."

At that moment an alarm sounded at the cockpit. He hurried over to it.

"Something wrong with the engine," he announced. "This could end badly."

The airship shook violently, and the noise of thunder woke Jonathan.

"Hey, I'm trying to sleep, here," he complained before realizing what was happening.

"Brace for emergency landing!" Rick commanded everyone.

"I _hate _when he says that," Jonathan muttered, springing out of his bunk.

Evy grasped the rails surrounding the door as she looked out the window. "Down there," she cried. "Is that an island?"

"Let's hope so, or we're going to be treading water for a long time."

The Zephyr shuddered again, barely following designated path, towards the tiny land mass. Rick struggled with the controls.

"We're coming in too fast," he muttered.

Jena shut her eyes tightly. "Come on, power, I've never asked you for anything. Please, do something!" she begged quietly.

The compartment shook violently as they brushed against a few trees, and everyone was thrown down as they crashed against a stone monument. Jena rolled across the floor before landing on her feet and instinctively catching the blimp in her aura, slowly bringing it down to land. She let out a big sigh of relief and exhaustion when they hit the ground, and took a few deep breaths.

"Nice one," Alex praised.

"And not a moment too soon, thank you, Jena," Evy said, helping her to her feet.

Jena smiled at everyone. "Yeah, if only I knew how I did it, right?"

Rick slowly stood up. "Everybody in one piece?"

"I think so," his wife replied, going into the sleeping room to check on her brother. "Jonathan?"

He was buried under a pile of clothes and cautiously peeked out. "Oh, I'm just peachy. Thanks for asking."

Alex patted his shirt anxiously. "Tut? Where's Tut?"

The mongoose crawled out of the small cupboard he had been hiding in and ran to him, chirping in fear.

Rick went up to the engine to see what the problem was and returned a few minutes later.

"It doesn't look good," he said. "But I need a body to help assess the damage. Jonathan, I guess you qualify."

"Okay, but only because you ask nicely," the Englishman returned.

Evy turned to the two children. "I suppose the three of us should look for food and fresh water," she said. "Sounds like we may be here a while."

They walked through the forest for about half an hour in search of a stream.

"Isn't this just lovely?" Evy exclaimed. "The flowers, the trees, the – "

"Quicksand?" Jena finished, already ankle deep.

The other two had sunk deeper when they looked down. Evy looked to see if there were any branches to grab on to, but they were out of reach as she struggled to catch one.

"Okay, don't panic," Alex was saying. "Just try and find something to hold on to."

"I'm not panicking," Jena replied. Strangely enough, she was perfectly calm until she whipped her head around. "Hey, I know it's not exactly the first thing on your mind right now, but someone's near. I don't recognize this presence."

Evy was barely listening as she struggled to grasp the branch. After a few minutes, it lowered into the reach of all three of them. They all freed themselves and quickly got onto solid ground as an African girl appeared out of the trees. She was perhaps a year or two younger than Jena and wearing some tribal colored top and a skirt made of leaves.

"Thanks for the rescue," Evy said.

"You guys aren't from around here, are you?" the girl asked.

"What was your first clue?" Alex tried to make a joke.

The girl didn't pick up on it. "People around here make it a point to _avoid _the quicksand," she replied. "My name's Ishi."

"It's very nice to meet you, Ishi," Evy said. "I'm Evy O'Connell. This is my son Alex, and this is Jena."

"You can clean up at our village," Ishi offered. "Our chief likes to personally greet all visitors, even though we don't get too many. This way." She turned and began leading them through the jungle.

"She's very friendly," Evy commented.

"I heard the same thing about headhunters," Alex muttered only loud enough for Jena to hear.

"Yeah, I don't like her either," the arukatasu agreed.

They walked through the dense plant life until reaching a village. Ishi approached a couple of women at a cooking pot.

"I'd like to introduce the chief of our tribe," she said. "My mother."

Ishi's mother turned and smiled at them. "So, what brings you to our island?"

"Bad luck, I'm afraid," Evy replied. "Our airship went down and repairs could be tricky."

"Perhaps we could be of some help."

"That would be lovely. I must say, if you're going to be stuck somewhere, an island paradise isn't too bad."

Jena was holding Tut and stroking his head absently as she stared at the mountain beside the village. Suddenly she shivered.

Evy noticed, because the humidity should have prevented the motion. "What's the matter?" she asked.

She shook her head. "Just a bad feeling. Nothing really."

They were given some food and water, and then returned to the Zephyr to see how the repairs were going. Rick had managed to fix the engine, but the air compartment had ripped during the crash and he didn't have enough patches to repair it.

While Alex showed his remote control airplane to the two girls, Ishi's mother began a brew of a light brown sticky substance. Jonathan sniffed it and his stomach turned.

"Just like Mum used to make," he stated with dread.

"We use this sap mixture on our fishing boats," the native woman explained. "It will seal these holes fast."

"Really?" Rick asked. "I wonder if it'll work on Jonathan's mouth."

They began repairing the blimp, while Alex began to show off.

"I made the radio control and the plane myself," he bragged, making the small craft do a loop-de-loop while spinning around. "I call this the inverted loop. Now it'll come right back to me."

The plane sped towards them, and they all ducked as it shot through the bushes behind them.

"Still a few glitches to work out," the boy continued awkwardly. "But you get the idea."

"Something like this?" Ishi took a boomerang and threw it into the air. It flew several meters before turned around. "You may wish to duck."

It came back low, and Alex and Jena dived out of the way as Ishi caught it effortlessly.

"Technology can be overrated," she said.

"I agree," Jena concurred.

"Okay," Alex groaned as the aerial fell off his remote. "So what else do you do for fun around here?"

The native girl led the two of them to a tightrope that was stretched between two trees across a river. They climbed up to it and she proceeded to walk across it backwards.

"Balance is the key," she explained. "Keep your knees bent."

Jena grinned. "Easy." She danced a couple of steps before cart-wheeling, finishing with a somersault over Ishi's head and landing easily behind her.

"No problem," Alex added, standing on the rope and hugging the tree it was tied to. Tut made a worried sound on his shoulder, and he said to him, "If they can do it, I can do it. Right?"

Tut chirped skeptically and hid in his shirt.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Taking a few steps, he shakily let go of the tree and unsteadily walked forward. Tut thudded his tail against his neck, distracting him, and he wobbled dangerously.

"Do you need help?" Jena asked, slightly concerned.

"No, I don't need any…" He overbalanced and landed in the river with a huge splash. Swimming out, he reached the two girls, who were giggling to themselves.

"I meant to tell you earlier, that is a beautiful bracelet," Ishi complimented him.

"It's not a _bracelet_," Alex said, his masculinity wounded. "It's a _manacle_."

"It's _mine_," Jena replied proudly.

"Then why does Alex wear it?"

The arukatasu frowned. "He stole it, and now it won't come off his wrist."

"What's it for?"

"It's called the Manacle of Osiris," Alex began boasting again. "It's has powers you wouldn't believe."

"I'm sure it does," Ishi replied sarcastically. "I bet it can make lightning, and part oceans."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you," he turned to the jungle to pick a target. Jena shook her head, but he didn't see. Holding the Manacle up, he whispered desperately, "Here's the deal. I know you haven't listened to me in the past, but just this _once _could you do what I ask?"

Reaching out his arm, he said, "Manacle, send out a bolt of lightning."

Nothing happened.

"Should I stand back a little further?" Ishi asked.

"Bolt of electricity," he tried again, lowering his arm slightly. "One little spark? Is that too much to ask?"

Jena grinned and touched the gold. It glowed suddenly and energy shot towards a nearby tree. Ishi jumped back in shock, her eyes wide.

"How'd you do that?" Alex demanded, annoyed that he hadn't been able to do it on his own.

Jena shrugged. "Dunno. But this is the reason why _I _should be wearing it."

"Is it me, or is it getting hotter out here?"

"I know where we can cool off," the native led them to the ocean, picking up a few wooden surfboards. They each paddled out and began riding the first decent wave that came. Alex kept wobbling on his board, not able to balance properly.

"Just keep shifting your weight," Ishi called back to him. As usual, Jena was having no trouble with the sport.

Just as the wave overshadowed him, he crashed into the water for the second time that day and let the waves carry him up to the shore. Beside him, the wooden board floated onto the sand, Tut balanced perfectly in the middle.

Alex sighed. "_This _sport will never catch on," he muttered.

They began heading back to the Zephyr, where Rick and the natives were just finishing off the repairs to the air chamber.

"Looks great," the American praised as they sat down to eat what the women had prepared. "Thanks for all your help."

Jonathan cringed as a bowl of what seemed like chunks of wood was placed in front of him. He lifted a piece out and sniffed it cautiously to determine whether or not it was edible.

"An island delicacy," the Ishi's mother explained, taking one and peeling the bark off it.

Evy copied her example and bravely ate a piece. "Very good," she said.

"What do I look like – a termite?" Rick asked as the wood was passed to him. "Don't answer that."

"Richard O'Connell, don't be rude," his wife chastened. "Without the chief we never would have fixed the Zephyr."

Reluctantly he took a bite. "Yummy," he said dryly. "Tastes like chicken."

A ball of flames flew over their heads and landed on a nearby bush. They all looked up in astonishment at the lava-formed monster that had infiltrated the temporary camp, and then quickly ran to escape.

"What is _that?_" Rick demanded.

"The Temakaway," the chief replied, fear in her voice. "A lava creature born out of the very center of the earth. My grandfather told me of such a monster."

"We're just tourists," Jonathan protested. "What's it got against us?"

"I don't know!" she replied, at a loss. "For centuries the spirit has been asleep and now it wakes with a vengeance."

The huge monster carelessly threw fireballs all around the camp, which burned and raised the temperature even higher than normal.

"The Zephyr," Evy said with concern as flames licked the airship's base. "Come on, Jonathan. You and I are on fire patrol."

She pulled her brother towards the blimp to get a couple of fire extinguishers as Rick distracted the beast. He attempted to hit it with his bullwhip, but the leather split its head in two pieces that rejoined together as one.

As it advanced towards him, Evy jumped forwards and sprayed it with the extinguisher. It protected itself with one arm, which cooled enough to solidify to rock, and the monster retreated into the dense jungle.

"I am afraid that was only a temporary solution," Ishi's mother said, her face still lit with concern. "The Tamakaway will not be defeated so easily."

The mountain, previously resting silently, rumbled loudly as black smoke rose from its crater.

"It has awakened the long-sleeping volcano," the chief continued. "The island will now know the Tamakaway's wrath."

"That thing can control a volcano?" Rick echoed. He didn't like the direction this misadventure was taking.

They met up with the three children close to the village, where they were looking for the adults.

"Did you see the smoke?" Jena asked Evy, her face worried. "I've never seen smoke come out of a mountain like that. Is that supposed to happen?"

Tut interrupted them, chattering loudly and running over to stand on the stone of a broken totem head.

"What is _that _thing?" Jonathan asked, seeing other heads carved below it in a line. Plant life hadn't grown over it, so it couldn't have been lying there for very long.

Ishi's mother gasped. "The spirit pole," she said. "The Tamakaway was released when it was broken."

"We just have knocked it over when we crashed," Evy surmised. "I'm afraid this whole thing was our fault."

"No," she dismissed blame. "It was an accident. But now you must go, before the volcano erupts."

"We're not going anywhere," Rick opposed.

"No, we're… we're not?" Jonathan asked.

"No, we're staying to help," his sister said sharply.

"There's got to be a way to cool off this hothead," Rick mused.

"What about good old-fashioned screaming and running away?!" Jonathan suggested. When everyone looked at him coldly, he sheepishly added, "Just a thought."

"There is a legend among my people of a firewalker," the chief said, thinking out loud. "A brave warrior able to cross lava in the presence of the Tamakaway will be able to appease it. However, I think it was just a myth passed down from generation to generation."

"What about fire extinguishers?" Evy suggested. "Remember I used it earlier? It slowed the monster down for a moment."

"Fire extinguishers against that thing?" Jonathan ridiculed. "That's like using a fly swatter against a pterodactyl!"

Jena blinked in confusion. "What's a pterodactyl?" she asked.

She was ignored as everyone planned.

"If we could find a way to increase the volume…"

"I bet I could use the motor in my remote control plane on the valve to make it increase the output," Alex said excitedly.

"And the sap mixture," the chief added. "If it was inside the canister…"

"It would act as an adhesive," Evy finished. "The foam would attach itself to the Tamakaway, snuffing out its flames."

Jena sighed, her mind blown. "I wish I could use my powers," she mumbled, miming the actions to her simple would-be plan. "Capturing a bit of water and throwing over the monster would solve the whole problem."

They set about adjusting their fire extinguishers, and were almost ready when the chief entered the cabin.

"Who has seen Ishi?" she asked worriedly.

No one had.

"Perhaps she went back to your village," Evy suggested.

Alex looked out the window at the smoking mountain and remembered what the Manacle had shown him the previous night.

"I don't think so," he said, turning to his mother. "Ishi was the girl in my vision! She must have gone to the top of the volcano!"

Ishi's mother covered her mouth in horror. "Oh, no. She heard me talk about the firewalker. She must believe it's true."

Rick gathered the little equipment that was outside the Zephyr and carried it in. "Time to lift off," he said, firing up the engine.

"I'm coming with you!" the chief called up to them as they rose into the air.

"Wait; you should make sure you're village is evacuated," Evy replied through the open door. "We'll search for Ishi."

Jena, who had been idly playing with Tut during the mechanical phase, sighed. "Well, I didn't like her from the start," she said, not quite loud enough for anyone to hear.

Rick flew the airship up the side of the volcano as the other four peered through the window and tried to distinguish a child.

"Down there!" Alex said, pointing to a rocky part of the mountain near its crater. Before anyone could form a plan to get her to safety, he had gone to the hatch, opened it, let down the ladder, and was climbing down the rope.

"Alex, it's too dangerous," Evy cried after him, but he wouldn't climb back to the blimp. Not wanting to waste any time, she worriedly watched him swing through the air as he descended.

Reaching the bottom of the rope ladder, Alex was about six feet from the mountainside when he called out to the girl. She knew he was there, but continued walking calmly on.

"Give me your hand!" he reached out to her.

"No," she refused. "I must face the Tamakaway and walk across the lava."

"Ishi, not even your mom believes it would ever work!"

"Even if that is the case, no one would ever know until someone tries it!"

They heard a roar, and the great flaming monster appeared quickly running up the mountainside.

"Look out!" Alex jumped off the rope and landed on Ishi, pulling her out of the way of a fireball.

Up in the airship, Evy was watching with great apprehension. "Alex!" Turning to her husband, she said, "We've got to _do _something!"

Rick nodded. "Take the controls," he said, and as she obeyed he grasped the modified fire extinguisher and climbed down the ladder to the volcano. Hanging onto the rope, he turned on the motor Alex had installed and shot some of the spray at the beast. Its arm solidified with the blast, but it used its other unharmed appendage to throw flames at the airship, severing the ladder in the process. Rick fell to the ground with a painful thud as the Tamakaway spat another blast at the two children. It missed, and they hurried to get away from it.

"My ankle!" Ishi cried when she took a single step. Alex helped her as, further down, Rick sprayed the beast again and hardened part of its chest.

The mountain groaned as cracks and jets of hot air rushed out of it. A little lava seeped down the mountainside, spilling from the bubbling crater, and Alex hurried with Ishi to stand on a higher rock.

In the Zephyr, Evy lowered as much as she could to allow Alex to catch the severed ladder. Grasping the end of it, he tied it to a boulder. The airship crossed the crater so the ladder was horizontal and, as the Tamakaway was walking effortlessly through the streaming lava, there wasn't time to change position. Ishi climbed onto Alex's back and crossed her feet around his stomach, holding on tightly as he cautiously stepped on the ladder to walk across to the Zephyr.

Seeing this, and knowing that rope crossing wasn't his specialty, Jena leapt out the hatch and swung onto the rope without Evy noticing. She darted across the boiling pit to reach the other two and grasped Alex's hands. He was already wobbling.

"It's okay," Jena said in a strong voice. "You won't fall."

Taking her hands, he took a step and his foot slipped off the rope. Ishi squealed, but Jena steadied them again.

"Don't look down," she said. "Just look at me, and keep walking."

"Okay," Alex breathed, meeting her eyes and not even daring to blink. "Here we go."

Jena walked backwards slowly, steadying him and meeting his pace as the three of them made their way across the lava. They were close to the airship when the Tamakaway reached the rope and burned its knot. Falling, Jena let go of Alex with one hand and quickly grasped the ladder. Alex also held onto it and, now that balance was no longer needed, the three of them could easily climb into the blimp.

Rick ran up to the flaming monster and, turning the motor on the extinguisher to full power, sprayed all the mixture in the canister onto it.

"Time to cool off, my friend," he said as the entire monster hardened to black rock. For good measure, he kicked it into the lava pit.

Slowly, the bubbling ceased, and the lava fell back into the volcano.

"It worked!" Ishi cried with relief. "By defeating the Tamakaway, you stopped the eruption!"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Alex asked her, "So, what _else _do you do for fun around here?"

#~#~#

They returned to the village and met the chief. The totem that they had grazed when they crash landed had been repaired, and there was a celebration that the monster had been defeated.

"As long as the spirit pole is in place, we will not see the beast again," the chief said. "I hope the same is not true for you."

"As soon as we're in the neighborhood, we'll stop by for a cup of bark," Rick replied, planning in advance to never cross the ocean that way again. It was nothing against the natives, but he felt he had aged decades in the last couple of months.

"Thank you for saving my life," Ishi said to Alex and Jena.

Alex gave a less than modest reply.

"I guess we'll never know if the eruption stopped because me and Alex walked across the lava, or if the fire extinguisher really worked," Jena said.

"Why is _that _important?" Ishi asked.

"Oh, it's not. I just want to know if we had to go rescue you for nothing."

The arukatasu received some icy glares as the party left the island.


	6. Orb of Aten

I have no idea how Weasler is still alive.

**Orb of Aten**

Egypt

Alex grunted with exhaustion as he climbed the outside of a pyramid. "It's days like these that I wish Mom was a stamp collector," he complained.

"Yeah, maybe your Uncle Jonathan's got the right idea," his father replied, pulling him across a broken stone. It was just the two of them, as Jena had climbed it earlier with Evy. "Stay in Greece, surrounded by nurses, and _recuperate _from a little head cold."

Alex let out a laugh and drank some water from his canteen, pouring a little into a cup for Tut and then handing the rest to Rick. "To tell you the truth, being back on the mummy's home turf makes me a little nervous," he said.

"To tell you the truth, it makes me _very _nervous." Staring at the top of the pyramid and squinting in the bright sunlight, Rick said, "Whaddaya say, Sport? Only 90 more steps to go."

In the tomb at the top of the pyramid, Evy was searching through the treasures and talking to herself.

"Come on, Lady Luck; Evy needs an old pair of scrolls," she muttered, shifting through gold and jewels before sighing to herself. "I've been hanging around Jonathan too long."

"You know, talking to yourself is the second sign of insanity," Jena said from the other end of the vault.

"And what's the first?"

"Getting a reply."

Rick and Alex entered from the crack in the wall, finally reaching their destination.

"Greatest architects of the ancient world, and they couldn't throw in an elevator," Rick complained.

"What's an elevator?" Jena asked.

"Any luck, Mom?" Alex said as his father explained technology.

"I'm afraid not," Evy replied. "The Scrolls of Thebes aren't here."

"Not here?" Rick exclaimed, hearing in the middle of his explanation. "Sometimes I think those things have legs of their own."

Alex sighed. "This time we seemed so close."

"I thought so, too," his mother said. "According to the logs of Alexander's warship, a relic of great power was hidden here for safekeeping. But I don't see any evidence that the Scrolls were _ever _here."

"Maybe this was this relic," came Jena's voice across the vault. Sitting in front of her was half a sphere of solid gold and a ruby embedded into it. She wouldn't pick it up or even touch it. "I have no idea what it is, but I'm sensing a _lot _of energy coming from it."

Evy gasped, rushing over to examine it. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "The logs weren't referring to the Scrolls at all!" She picked it up, ignoring Jena's wince at the contact, and blew dust off of it.

"Um…" the arukatasu began.

"What is it?" Rick asked.

"Um…"

"The Orb of Aten! Or rather, half of it," she said. "_This _must be what the logs were referring to."

"Aten? Wasn't he a – " Alex began.

"Egyptian sun god," Jena interrupted. "Very powerful."

They all stared at her. Evy had taught her some Egyptian mythology, but she was absolutely positive that Aten hadn't been mentioned.

"And…well…" she tried to continue, but trailed off for the third time.

"Yes, that's right," the English woman said before praising her attentive student. "Very good. According to myth, the Orb would bestow powers nearly as great as the Manacle of Osiris."

Just then a tiny crash sounded as a hole appeared in the pyramid's side. Imhotep appeared from the cloud of dust, glaring at them.

"How did he even know where to show up?" Rick exclaimed.

"Um…" Jena began again hesitantly, this time finishing her sentence. "Evy touched the Orb… and it let out a small surge of energy. It's like a… beacon…"

"The Orb of Aten," Imhotep's eyes gleamed horribly when he saw the relic. "My powers will once again return to me."

Rick quickly looked around the vault for anything useful and spied an ancient blade, its long handle wrapped in frayed leather. Acting swiftly, he grasped it like a javelin and hurled it towards the Mummy. It wasn't sharp, and stuck in his chest where it had become embedded. He had to pull it out and, in his distraction, the O'Connells made their way to the vault's exit.

As soon as Imhotep threw away the rusty old blade, he caught the half-orb in a swirl of aura and pulled it towards himself. Jena noticed.

"No! You can't have it!" she yelled, catching it in her hands. The Mummy's aura burned her, but she refused to let go. Imhotep reached out both hands and, taking the Orb in one, he grasped Jena's shirt to forcibly pull her off the relic. She struggled and fought, and he carelessly tossed her out of the vault.

"Jena!" Alex cried in alarm, hearing her cry as she rolled down the side of the pyramid. A whoosh of air passed the O'Connells as they slowly climbed down, unable to move quickly, and Jena's father caught her. Flying to the ground he set her down.

Jena had one hand on her back, which was evidently bruised, but she looked up to the sky and pointed at the whirlwind that emerged from the top of the pyramid. "Papa, get that relic! There'll be trouble if he takes it!"

Yue looked at Imhotep's trail and made to fly after him, but something made him halt. He straightened his back. "I'm sorry, Jena. I can't. Are you hurt?"

"I'm _fine_, but why – "

Her father was gone before she could finish, and she made an exasperated noise.

The O'Connells made it to the ground before planning their next move.

"What did Imhotep mean by 'my powers will once again return to me'?" Alex asked. "He can't use the Orb to regain them. Can he?"

"I'm afraid it's possible," Evy replied. "If he possesses both halves of the orb, there's no telling what he'll be able to do."

"As if he's not strong enough as he _is_," Jena complained as Tut ran onto her shoulder, and she stroked his head.

"Well, it looks like we have to find the Orb's other half," Rick said, dreading this next mission.

Evy thought hard. "I seem to remember it being excavated by an American team in 1916 just outside of Bahariya, Egypt," she began walking towards their rented car. "A quick telegram to Fenwick at the museum should tell us its current location."

She made the telegram as the other three began packing up all their equipment. When she returned with an answer, Alex asked, "So, where are we off to, Mom?"

"Let me guess," Rick said, speaking sarcastically. "The lower Sahara? No, wait – I know. The middle of Siberia."

"Not even close," his wife replied, and her voice told them she knew he would be pleased with the answer. "The other half of the Orb is on loan to the Museum of Ancient History – in New York City."

"Really?" the American exclaimed, dropping the suitcases he had just lifted. "Are you serious?"

Jena was confused. "So… where are we going?" she asked.

"To the city that never sleeps!" Rick continued his parade. "New York! U.S.A! U.S.A!"

Somewhat amused at her husband's enthusiasm, Evy said to the two children, "It's an American thing."

"What about the Mummy?" Alex asked as they finished loading the Zephyr and set off.

"First he'd need to locate the Orb," Evy said, confident that he wouldn't be able to.

"And unless he's sprouted wings under that robe," Rick added, "We should beat Mr. Personality no problem."

Jena sighed from the position she was lying on one of the sofas. "I wish _I _could sprout wings," she muttered. "Then the High Priest wouldn't have got away with the Orb."

#~#~#

On a boat heading west, Weasler approached a cloaked figure at the bow. "We land in New York tomorrow morning, Master," he said, proudly fixing his glasses. "And my contacts assure me the Orb will be waiting for us at the museum. How fortunate for you that I am here to guide you through the pitfalls of a modern city. New York will open its arms to a man of my stature – "

With a growl, Imhotep grasped Weasler's jacket and used it to hang him over the edge of the boat, above the cold black water they were sailing over.

"D- did I say 'my'?" the lackey stammered, his cocky attitude gone. "I- i- i- meant '_your'_ stature… y- your highness."

#~#~#

The Zephyr flew serenely over Ellis Island the next morning.

"Hello, Lady Liberty," Rick said to the monstrous statue that was the island's claim to fame. "Symbol of America's freedom."

Jena was reading a history book that Evy had given her. "It says here that Ellis Island is also known as the Isle of Tears, because America sent so many Irish back home," she read, deflating Rick's pride. "Is Ireland far away?"

"Whoa," Alex said in awe, glued to the window. "Look at that!"

The arukatasu looked up from her book to see what he meant. "Wow, cool!"

"The Empire State Building," Rick named the monument as he steered the Zephyr close to its apex. "The world's tallest parking spot."

Jena didn't think he was serious, but he actually let the rope down for them to dismount the blimp.

"Isn't there a piece of land where you can park?" she asked.

"Not in New York," he replied. "It's all buildings, here."

Descending and exiting the Empire State Building, Alex asked his father, "Do you think we could go see the city before we go to the museum?"

"I don't think your mother would like that," he replied. "Better let me do the talking. I'll take care of it."

Evy exited the building behind them and checked her watch, which she had adjusted to American time. "We've got a couple of hours before the museum opens," she said. "Let's do some sightseeing!"

And she began to walk off.

"Wow, we're so lucky you're here for things like this," Jena giggled, following the English woman into the city. She took one step and froze.

"Jena? Are you okay?" Alex asked.

Jena lifted her bare foot into the air. There was a silver liquid on her sole.

"What's that?"

"Blood," she replied, wiping it off. "Ow! There's glass in my foot!"

"Your blood is silver?"

"Yeah. Isn't yours?"

"No!" Alex retorted. "Humans have red blood."

"Red? That's so weird!" Jena scrunched up face up in confusion as Rick took an archeological tool from his belt to remove the glass. She didn't seem to feel any pain.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Rick asked.

"Not really. It's not exactly pleasant, though."

Evy had returned, noticing no one was following her. "Jena, your foot! You shouldn't be wandering around New York without shoes. We'll get you some first thing," she fretted, and it was decided before the arukatasu could even speak.

They found a pair of black boots for Jena at a second hand store – there seemed no point in buying them new if she would never wear them out of the States – and then got some Frankfurters. The streets were noisy, and cars seemed to continuously be honking at something. There was a fairground, where the four of them went in a rollercoaster. Alex managed to smuggle Tut into the compartment, but the mongoose didn't like it much. After that, they took a horse-drawn carriage tour through a park and then – to the children's dismay – the museum opened. Once there, Evy was having a field day in the Egyptian section.

She gasped at something in display casing and covered her mouth. "The legendary book of Thoth!" she said in animation. "God of wisdom and darkness. It's rumored to be filled with all sorts of spells and incantations. Isn't this exciting?"

Alex didn't think so, but knew he was in for a lifetime's worth of groundings if he dared disagree. "That's not exactly the word I was thinking of," was all he said. His mother didn't even notice.

A staff member approached them.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hardy's been detained for several hours," she said in a broad American accent. "If you'll just wait he'll be with you as soon as possible."

"Well, I suppose we can wander the museum," Evy said, unable – or unwilling – to think of any alternatives. "I believe I saw an exhibit on toiletries of the Carthaginians!"

Jena made a face in the woman's plain sight.

"But… I suppose that might not be everyone's cup of tea," she continued, also looking at her husband and son. "I'll see you three in a few hours."

Rick was so happy that he kissed her enthusiastically before he and the kids turned to leave.

"Any ideas where to go?" Alex asked his father.

"Just one."

Half an hour later found them in a huge baseball stadium, where a couple of professionals were practicing.

"Whoa!" the children chorused together at the vastness of it.

"Yeah," Rick began. "You can have your pyramids and Sphinxes or whatever. But for my money, _this,_" he gestured the field, "Is one of the seven wonders of the world."

They moved to where a hefty player was batting. His teammate had a basket of baseballs and seemed to be hurling all of them at his friend. Rick called out to him from the stands.

"Hey, you're dropping that shoulder again!"

The batter turned in annoyance to see who had interrupted his practice, and Jena ducked behind the stands so he wouldn't see she was with the person who did.

"Well, I'll be," he said, his annoyance vanishing. "Rick O'Connell."

Jena looked up again, now curious, and the three of them jumped onto the pitch.

"I haven't seen you since St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys," the batter gave Rick a bear hug, lifting him off the ground.

"Easy on the ribs there, Georgie!" Rick protested. Once he was free, he said, "This is my son, Alex, and his friend Jena. Alex, I'd like you to meet George Herman, Babe Ruth."

"Babe Ruth?" Alex echoed in disbelief. "_You're _the Babe?"

"That's what my driver's license says," the Babe replied, offering his hand to shake. "Nice to meet you, Alex."

Jena was in the dark. "Who?" she asked.

Alex panicked and covered her mouth so she didn't embarrass them. Stunned, she wacked his arm away and had it twisted behind his back before he could blink.

"Trust me; you don't want to wrestle me," she warned.

"Uncle! _Uncle!_"

She let him go.

"You know how to play Uncle, but you've never heard of Babe Ruth?" Alex exclaimed. "He's only the most famous baseball player in the world!"

"Do I _look _like I know what baseball is?" Jena retorted.

"Alex, you play ball?" George asked.

"My uncle taught me how to play cricket," he replied enthusiastically.

"Cricket? Ain't that a kind of bug?"

Rick leaned close to his friend and said, "It's a British thing."

"Hey, O'Connell, last I heard you quit playing ball and ran off to join the Foreign Legion or something," George accused. Apparently Rick had been quite a player.

"I'm in the archeology game, now," he answered. "We're in town for a little business at the museum."

"Well, if you wanted to strap on a pair of cleats again, we could sure use somebody like you now. Our shortstop's out with a bum knee."

"I didn't know you played baseball, Dad," Alex said.

"I don't know, Babe, that was a long time ago. I think I'll pass."

"You can't blame a guy for trying," George shrugged. "Why don't we see if Alex is a chip off the old O'Connell block?"

Alex grinned and was carted off to suit up. Jena managed to find a uniform as well, and it wouldn't do for her to be outdone – even though the shade of blue of the uniform clashed with her hair.

George bowled Alex a nice easy ball, and he hit it over his pitcher's head.

"Terrific," he praised. "But here's a tip if you want to make it to the big league. Head down, elbows in, and keep your eyes on the prize."

Jena, who had been watching and thought she got the idea of the game, said, "My turn."

Stepping up to the place, she grasped the bat and stood side-on to George. He bowled her another easy ball, and she whacked it out of the park without hesitating.

"Sorry!" she apologized as he stared in sheer disbelief.

"That's some arm you got there, kid. What are you apologizing for?"

She blinked in confusion. "Isn't the idea to hit the ball into someone's glove?"

Rick, Alex and Jena began heading back to the museum as the afternoon grew late.

"Do you miss playing baseball, Dad?" Alex asked.

"Not really," he answered. "If I'd stayed in the States I never would have met your mom."

Jena, who had heard the story, said, "Weren't you in jail when you met her?"

"That's beside the point."

They arrived at the museum, where Evy was pacing frantically outside the entrance.

"Hardy wouldn't give me the Orb!" she exclaimed when she saw her family. "He insinuated I was insane! Can you believe it? Me?"

"Was this before or after you told him about our little Mummy problem?" her husband asked.

She had a funny expression.

"Evy, I know that look," Rick said with dread. "You're up to something."

"Well, if the museum won't protect the Orb, we'll just have to do it ourselves."

They listened to her plan – which Jena was in love with – and waited until the museum had closed. In the cover of night, they made their way to the rooftop and Evy used a safety pin to pick the lock on the museum's window.

"Hmm, looks like you finally learned something useful from Jonathan," Rick commented.

"Yeah, you have _got _to teach me how to do that," Jena added.

"Now, Alex – and you, too, Jena," Evy said sternly as her husband heaved the window open. "I want to be very clear about this; we are _not _stealing. We're merely putting the Orb into protective custody."

"I'll remember to mention that to the judge," Rick said wryly as he secured a rope to a metal fastening.

They climbed down the rope and cautiously made their way through the silent museum.

"The Orb is down this corridor," Evy whispered when they reached two steel doors.

Alex stepped on a gravel-like substance and checked his shoes. "Sand?" To his dismay, the sand seemed to leave a trail through the doors that held the orb. "Uh, Dad? I think we may have company."

Jena had already cracked open the door, and a strong wind blew it wide open and forced the four of them backwards. Imhotep was striding forwards, the whole Orb of Aten in his hand, and Weasler skulking behind him in the shadows.

"Since you plague me like insects, you shall perish by them." The Mummy spoke some ancient Egyptian words, and the mosquitoes and locusts that were on display came to life by the orb's golden glow.

"And me without my bug spray," Rick said as they backed away. "Run!"

They turned tail. Tut appeared out of Alex's shirt to see what the commotion was, and Alex got an idea.

"Hey, mongooses eat bugs, don't they?" he asked.

Tut looked behind him, saw the swarm, and hid again with chattering of fear.

"Great time to become a vegetarian."

Jena thought of something next. Because she was the fastest runner, she wasn't under as much pressure as the rest. "The museum has the Book of Thoth," she said. "Didn't you say it had a lot of incantations? Couldn't one of them stop the insects?"

"That's right!" Evy realized. "Or, better yet, it may have something to reverse the effects of the Orb!"

They passageway split, and so did they. Alex and Jena hurried into a room with an enormous blue whale hanging from the ceiling by several ropes.

"Hey, Alex, what are the chances of my Manacle helping us out?" the arukatasu asked.

The bracelet felt like dead weight on his wrist. "Not great."

"Okay, then." She grasped a harpoon head from a display table and hurled it at the ropes supporting the large mammal. The monster came swinging towards them and, when they ducked, the insects flew into its waiting mouth. As it crashed to the floor, the jaw became jammed shut.

"Nice one!" Alex raised his hand to slap Jena a high-five. "Snug as a bug in a… whale."

"Nice simile," she grinned. "Although if _I _was wearing the Manacle I wouldn't have had to do that."

#~#~#

Rick stopped as he and Evy ran into a mostly empty room.

"Looks like we lost the bugs," he said.

"And Alex and Jena!" his wife panicked when she realized they were gone.

"You get the Book; I'll go back for them."

Splitting up, Rick hurried back the way they had come. Not looking where he was going as he ran through the dinosaur room, he crashed into a small form and they both fell backwards.

"Alex!" he cried when he saw his son fall into Jena. "Are you two alright?"

"Yeah, fine," the arukatasu said.

"Just getting rid of the bugs," Alex added, pointing behind him to show there were none there.

"Great, now if you could only get rid of _him_," Rick said, hearing Imhotep's growls as the Mummy walked into the room.

Imhotep activated the orb's power again, and the golden aura caught the dinosaur's skeleton in the center of the room. It roared, the wooden stands falling away as it straightened up.

"What a night at the museum," Jena commented. "Is that a T-Rex or a giganotosaurus? Because giganotosauruses are bigger – and more vicious."

"Doesn't matter either way – I don't suppose there's any chance of another ice age in the next 30 seconds?" Rick asked.

"I don't think so," Alex said.

The beast roared again and began chasing them. They ran through several rooms before meeting up with Evy, who was calmly walking to the door and skimming through the Book of Thoth. She gasped when she saw the dinosaur and quickly leafed back to a specific page.

"This spell might work," she said, reading the hieroglyphics. The monster began walking towards her, but before it could reach her the incantation did its work and the beast crashed to the floor.

"Cutting it a little close, aren't we, dear?" Rick asked.

Jena scrunched up her nose at the smell and dust the pile of bones caused. "I do _not _want to be here tomorrow morning when the museum's owner walks in," she said. "Although it would be fun to hear how they think a giant fossil walked into a room that's about thirty feet away."

They hurried out of the museum, and Evy checked her watch again.

"Sunrise is in one hour," she said. "Because the Orb belonged to a sun god, the sun has to be up for Imhotep to make full use of its power. The Mummy will need a ritual site; somewhere high up, surrounded by water, and in full view of the rising sun."

"The Statue of Liberty," Rick said immediately. "We're going to need a boat."

They managed to get a taxi to the harbor, and then "borrowed" a speedboat to cross to Ellis Island.

"Give us your tired, your hungry," Rick commented as they pulled up at the dock. "Your undead yearning to rule the world."

The doors to the statue's foundation had been blasted off their hinges, and the elevator was in pieces.

"Looks like Imhotep doesn't want company," Alex said.

"No time for the stairs," his father said. The journey to the base of the statue had taken a bit of time, and it was nearly sunrise. "Everybody grab on and hold tight."

They each grasped the elevator cord and Rick pulled a lever on the wall. The wire began moving upwards, pulling them along with it.

"So _this _is an elevator!" Jena said delightedly.

They reached the highest floor, the statue's face, and swung out of the shaft.

"They blocked the only way up," Rick said, staring at the passageway up Lady Liberty's arm.

"Maybe not the _only _way," said Evy, looking out the hole where the eye was. There was evidently construction going on, and a rope had been left hanging by the space. "I'll read the spell of darkness. You grab the Orb!"

"One double play, coming right up," her husband agreed, climbing out the crown and making his way up to the arm.

"What about me?" Alex asked as his parents left the face's safety.

"_You _stay here," his mother retorted.

"Stay?" he echoed. "What do I look like, a golden retriever?"

Jena grinned at him. "I am _so _going up there," she said, beginning to climb out.

"You stay there as well, Jena!" Evy cried from higher up.

She fell back into the face. "Aw, too bad."

The sun began to rise, and Imhotep began his incantation from the statue's torch. Sunlight seemed to rush towards the Orb as if magnetized.

"Evy, we need an eclipse," Rick hurried his wife as they gained height in the worker's cradle.

Evy read the spell from the book, and the moon changed its position to blot out the sun's light.

From the face, Jena watched with Alex. "And… there goes this month's lunar cycle," she sighed dejectedly. "Now I'm _never _going to be able to tell what day it is."

"You tell the date from the moon?" the redhead asked.

"Yeah, don't you?"

"In this day and age, we use a calendar."

"What _is _that? Some kind of animal?"

Up at the torch, Weasler looked down. "The O'Connells?" he said. "These hero types can be so annoying."

Imhotep let out another spell, thrusting the orb's energy to create hot, purple flames around the base of the torch. Rick, who was climbing up the robe to grab the Orb, muttered, "Out of the frying pan…"

Swinging the rope from side to side, he managed to land on the torch when he had enough height, bypassing the fire and knocking Weasler off. The smaller man landed beside Evy on the cradle, and the harsh jolt caused her to drop the book into the sea below.

Jena said something in whatever language she spoke, and began climbing the rope beside the crown.

"Hey, Mom said to stay here!" Alex cried after her. When she ignored him, he climbed out after her.

The eclipse faded when Evy dropped the book and stopped the incantation, and Imhotep held up the Orb in his hands to catch the morning rays again. Rick took a mirror from his belt, reflecting bright sunlight into the Mummy's eyes. Then, while he was blinded, the American took his bullwhip and hit the relic from Imhotep's hand. It fell, but it looked like Weasler was ready to catch it below.

"Mom, I need a bat!" Alex yelled.

Evy, almost falling off the platform where Weasler had pushed her when he landed, grasped the steel mallet beside her and tossed it to her son. Alex caught it deftly handed it to Jena.

"You're stronger," he said. Without hesitating – there wasn't even time to think, she took it and jumped onto the platform, swinging and hitting the orb like a baseball. The force she had used caused the already fragile relic to shatter into a dozen pieces and fall uselessly into the water.

Rick slid down the rope from the torch and helped everyone – that is, everyone but Weasler – back into the face as they made the leisurely act of taking the stairs to the bottom.

"Nice swing there, Jena," he praised the girl.

She beamed at him. "Thanks – but it was Alex's idea. I guess that game runs in the family."

"Speaking of runs, we've got to hurry. The Babe needs me."

#~#~#

The baseball stadium was filled with cheering crowds, watching the game. Evy, Alex and Jena were among them, wearing blue caps and loaded with popcorn. Alex was using binoculars to try and spot his father.

"There he is," he pointed suddenly. "He's in the on-deck circle."

"A dream come true, in front of 50,000 screaming fans," Evy said, proud of her husband. "Now _this _is exciting."

Jena was sitting with her feet on the bench and her head resting on her knees. "They keep missing the gloves," she said in confusion. "How are they getting points?"

"O'Connell! O'Connell!" Alex began chanting. At his mother's strange look, he said, "It's a baseball thing."

They both began cheering as, about to go up to bat, Rick was having a few practice swings.

George came up behind him.

"I'm not sure I can do this, Babe," he confessed. "I've got butterflies the size of buzzards flying around in my stomach."

"O'Connell, you just saved the world from a Mummy," George pointed out. "Hitting a Major League curveball should be no problem."

The commentator announced, "And stepping up to the plate, Rick 'The Rocket' O'Connell."

Rick focused on the pitcher, and when the ball came flying towards him he swung his bat.

The crowd went wild.


	7. The Black Forest

**The Black Forest**

London, England

"How is some math problem going to help us find the Scrolls of Thebes?" Alex asked his mother again. He and his parents were walking through the British Museum of Antiquities' staff corridors, on their way to find a tablet.

"I just discovered that Roman scholars translated the location of the scrolls into a mathematical formula," Evy replied. "If we can solve it, we'll know where they are."

They turned a corner and heard crash followed by a male voice talking to himself.

"Found it! I can't wait to see the look on Evy O'Connell's face!"

Evy turned the next corner to see Weasler standing beside the door he had broken open and surrounded by a metal wedge and several ancient books, scrolls and slates.

"Always glad to oblige!" she snarled at him.

Weasler cradled the prized tablet in his arms tightly and bolted. Rick was hot on his tail. He ran out of the castle and across the street, right in the path of a double-decker bus. The American chased him – not for very long, because he wasn't exactly fast – and dived towards him, throwing him to the ground.

"Nice tackle, Dad!" Alex said, going to retrieve the stone slabs that that fallen from the victim's hands.

It wasn't a moment before the wind picked up, and a blustering tornado appeared at the end of the street headed straight for them.

"Now you're in trouble," Weasler said, a little smugly as if he wouldn't get chewed out for failing his task.

"Stop!" Alex held out his hand, and light emanated from the Manacle on his wrist. Its aura shot at the Mummy's whirlwind. "Did I do that?"

"Good shot, Alex," his father praised. He took the tablets and ran down the street with his family. They had what they needed, but Imhotep wouldn't let them go so easily. They needed a way to stop him, and they needed to think of it fast.

Only slowed for a moment, the tornado swept after them. Rick and Alex turned down a street, but the wind caught Evy. Unable to set her feet on the ground, she was pulled in.

"Mom!" Alex cried when he noticed.

"We're coming," Rick called out, chasing after the tornado as it hurried down the street. They ran to a huge clock tower, and the storm swept up to the top of it while leaving Evy hanging onto the horizontal minute hand.

"It's time for a trade," Imhotep said darkly.

They could hear her cry for help. It was a fatal drop from the clock face to the ground.

"Follow me," Rick ordered his son, and the two of them ran into the clock tower's entrance. When they had climbed a few flights of stairs, he told Alex to stay put. "You'll be safer here," he said, running up the rest of the stairs. He entered the room outside the clock faces, and could see his wife's silhouette still hanging on.

Imhotep came to meet him.

"Here it is," Rick said, giving him the slates in his hands. "Now let her go."

In response, the Mummy caught several gears and metal poles in his aura and thrust them towards the American.

"So much for negotiating in good faith," he muttered, ducking and hurdling over them. One cog flew out the door, rolling down the stairs, and Alex pressed himself against the stone wall to avoid it.

"I'll be safer _where, _Dad?" he asked the air.

Imhotep appeared at the door, a flight above, and Alex didn't like the gleam in his eyes when he saw the Manacle.

It was twenty past the hour, now, and Evy was finding it more difficult to hang on to the sloping minute hand. Rick had climbed out of the room onto the outside of the tower and was now making his way towards her. There was a small ledge underneath the face; enough for a foothold, but it wasn't big enough to balance on without holding on to something else.

"I'll be right there," he called to her, taking his whip from his belt. He used it to catch the minute hand, and then used it to hoist himself up the clock face to reach his wife. "You know I'd never leave you hanging," he said as he helped her back into the internal room.

Down the stairs, Alex was hoping that the manacle would help him out. "Stay right there!" he shouted, hoping he sounded in control. "I'm warning you!"

Imhotep was not anxious in the least. "Never send a boy to do a man's job."

"What about a woman?" came Evy's angry voice, using a spare clock hand she had picked up from the clock room as a spear.

With a growl, the Mummy grasped the "spear" and thrust it into the stairway. The wood splintered and the stairs crumbled, and he dropped the tablets. They landed back in Weasler's possession, but Imhotep fell as the passageway was destroyed.

Alex jumped and grasped his father's hand as the floor beneath his feet fell.

"Come on," Rick said to the two of them. "There's another stairway on the other side of the tower."

They hurried, but when they exited the clock tower on the ground they could see the whirlwind flying away.

"There he goes," Alex said. "What now?"

"There's only one man alive smart enough to solve that formula," Evy replied. "We've got to get to him before Weasler and the Mummy do."

"Who's that?" Rick asked.

"An old professor of mine. A mathematical genius – even if he did have trouble matching up his socks."

#~#~#

As they packed up the Zephyr, Alex told Jena about their misadventure at the clock tower. She wasn't pleased she had missed it.

"I never should've gone home!" she complained.

"Didn't your sister break her leg?"

"Mari breaks her leg all the time," the arukatasu dismissed. "It would've been better for me to stay with you if you're going to go looking for the scrolls without me. Are you trying to steal my Manacle when you take it off?"

"Uh…" Alex didn't know how to answer that. Once the Manacle was removed, it was going to the museum. Jena, however, seemed intent on taking it – and would probably do so by force.

Evy saved him. "Of course we didn't _plan_ on leaving without you," she said. "But it was an emergency. It's lucky your father could find us before we leave England."

Jena accepted that reason.

"I'm worried," Evy continued, changing the subject. "Professor Einstein didn't respond to my telegram."

"Your old math professor was Albert Einstein?" Alex exclaimed.

"I spent a summer in Germany studying under him," his mother replied with a smile. "Didn't I ever mention that?"

The sound of a horn came from across the airfield, and Jonathan drove up on another "borrowed" motorcycle of his.

"I'm so glad I caught you," he said, taking off his helmet. "Still headed for Paris?"

"There's been a slight change of plans," his sister answered. "We're bound for Berlin."

"Berlin, Paris," Jonathan replied, pushing Evy into the zeppelin to hurry her. "They both sound wonderful. Shouldn't we be shoving off?"

"Jonathan," Evy began in a scolding tone. "What happened this time?"

"Well, I was out on the road, and – "

She interrupted before he could finish. "On second thought, I don't want to know."

"Good thinking," her brother answered, and the group began the journey east.

Evy remembered the German streets very well, and they had little trouble finding the mathematician's home.

"Curious," she said after a long silence followed the doorbell's ring. "No one's answering." She pushed at the door to discover it wasn't locked. Its journey was slowed by the pile of mail that had fallen through the letterbox and remained untouched. She picked up an envelope that bore her name on the reverse. "My telegram was never opened."

Jonathan looked in disgust at the messy surroundings. The carpet was covered with rubbish, and none of the furniture seemed to be sitting straight. "Albert Einstein lives like a pig," he commented.

"Clutter is the sign of a brilliant mind at work," Evy retorted.

"Bet my old gym locker makes me look like a genius," Rick muttered.

"Look at this," Jena said, going over to a piece of carpet. It was a dirty yellow color, camouflaging the sand that was lying on it quite well.

"Imhotep and Weasler were already here," Evy said darkly.

Alex kicked the sand with his foot before bending down and lifting a handful. At the close proximity, the Manacle glowed and his vision changed.

It was dark. He was climbing over a tree's overgrown roots with Tut on his shoulder. Jena was walking beside him, and they approached an old castle as the drawbridge lowered.

Light flashed, and suddenly they were inside. Imhotep walked out from a shadowy passageway, his face deformed, and the scene changed again. Einstein was writing on a chalkboard, solving a complex formula.

"Alex?" his mother's voice broke him out of his reverie. "Another vision?"

Jena massaged the sides of her head, as if it hurt her. "Do you recognize that castle?" she asked Alex.

He nodded. "I saw it in a history textbook. I think I know where Imhotep's got Einstein."

Jonathan groaned. "Please let it be a 5-star hotel on the edge of the French Riviera with room service," he said, not looking forward to another encounter with the undead priest.

#~#~#

"I grow impatient," Imhotep growled at the mathematician. He had spent hours on the formula already. "You _will _solve this code!"

Einstein stopped working on the chalkboard for a moment. "Patience, my friend, is the essence of – "

The Mummy raised his fist and smashed the table in the middle of the room. The splintered wood clattered loudly on the stone floor.

"However, you do raise a most interesting counterargument," he finished.

"He's stalling, Master," Weasler said before the priest could turn his rage on him. "Perhaps in hope of being rescued?"

"The O'Connells," Imhotep said darkly.

"They do have a nasty habit of showing up at the most inopportune times."

"I shall call upon the spirits of the forest to do my bidding," he went over to the window and opened the shutters. The ruin they were was overlooking a particularly dense part of the Black Forest, and he said an incantation while sending bursts of energy towards the trees.

The O'Connells were travelling on horses through the forest at that moment, following Alex and Jena. Jena seemed to know where she was going, because she could sense Imhotep's energy presence growing more and more distinct.

"Is that the castle?" Alex asked, pointing at an overgrown ruin between the trees.

"No, it's a different one," Jena replied, as she had a good memory. "We must be close, though. The energy is stronger, here."

Hearing a noise, she turned her head to see the three adults tangled in branches. The trees seemed to be alive, and intent on choking them.

"Alex, look out!" she called out, holding her reigns tightly. Her horse reared as a plant attempted to grab her, and she jumped off the saddle before it threw her. Alex fell to the ground, not as quick, and she hurried to help him up before a tree captured him. By this point all five horses had run off.

Struggling in the vines, Evy said, "Kastonvites, spirits of the forest, are usually harmless. Imhotep must be controlling them."

A branch wormed its way around Alex's ankle, dragging him across the ground. Jena, who had been rummaging through her satchel, finally found her jungle knife and pulled it out. She leapt after Alex and chopped at the wood, severing it and freeing him before running to help the rest. She pulled another, smaller knife from her bag and tossed it to Rick, who began fiercely attacking the plant that held him captive.

An enormous oak tree groaned, and all of its limbs flexed and came diving down on Alex – the only one who wasn't imprisoned already. Before he could react, Jena slashed at the branches with her jungle knife, grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the way.

The forest became silent, the sounds of struggles suddenly gone.

"Mom?" Alex called out. "Dad?"

"Jonathan!" Jena yelled into the dark night. No one was in sight.

She scowled at no one and turned to the redhead. "There's nothing we can do except keep looking for the castle," she said. "They'll probably be there."

"Yeah," he nodded. "Imhotep's paying for this one, big time."

Alex and Jena tried to stay in as clear areas as possible, in case the trees were still alive. Jena was walking close to him as Tut gave a scared chatter every so often.

"Run!" she suddenly cried and took off. Alex turned to see a pine tree fling a branch of its pointy needles at the pair.

"What now, killer Christmas trees?" he asked as he followed the arukatasu. He was fast, but Jena was faster and she found a boulder sticking out of the ground that could cover them. They both ducked behind it.

"So much for holiday spirit," Alex commented.

A seedling sprouted from the ground and made to grab them. Jena grasped Alex' hand and they sprinted for safety again, jumping over roots and dodging branches.

"I would not say _this _if Mom and Dad were here," he said as he hurdled over a juniper branch. "But I wish Mom and Dad were here!"

"Tell me about it!" Jena replied. She looked more anxious than usual.

They reached another clearing at the edge of a small cliff.

"Look!" the girl stopped and pointed. A little way away sat the castle that they had both seen in their vision.

"We made it."

"Hurry up!" she quickly pushed him down the shallow cliff face, where there was no plant life, to avoid a murderous Elm. They hurried to the ruin.

"Look at these topiaries," Alex said as they approached the castle. The garden decorations were shaped like wild beasts. "They're so real."

Jena sidled closer to him and took his hand, holding it tightly.

"What wrong?" he asked in surprise, blushing a little at the contact. "We've got out of worse things than this."

She bit her lip before telling him. "I haven't sensed my father's presence since we left England," she whispered. "Usually he's following me, but not today. So… if things get bad… he won't save us."

They were in the middle of the topiaries now, and suddenly two animals came to life. A jaguar blocked their exit behind them, while a giant serpent prevented them from moving onward.

"This is definitely taking man-eating plants too far!" he said.

Getting a grip on herself, Jena took out her knife again. Alex put one hand on her shoulder to stop her attacking, and said, "When in doubt, wait it out."

Neither of them moved for a moment. Then, when the snake darted its head forward, they split so that it attacked the wildcat behind them. As the plants fought, they ran for the gate. Jena grasped the lever that operated the drawbridge, and it closed so the animals couldn't follow.

#~#~#

"I can't tell you what a pleasure it is to finally work with someone who is my intellectual equal," Weasler said smugly, watching Einstein continue working on the formula.

"May I ask you a question then, my dear colleague?" the German man replied.

"Of course, Herr Professor."

"Were you dropped on your head as a baby?"

Imhotep appeared into the tower room. "Have you broken the code?" he demanded.

"This is not grade school long division," Einstein tried to explain. "The formula used is a very complex binary system, which must be – "

"I do not want excuses – I want results!" the priest threatened, advancing menacingly. "Your time is running out."

"Are you not aware that time is relative?"

"And death, professor," he replied darkly, "Is forever."

#~#~#

Evy, Rick and Jonathan slid at a frightening speed down a chute before falling painfully into a dungeon. Immediately the vegetation that had crept through the stone cracks held them captive, wrapping around each of their torsos.

"Everybody all right?" Rick asked.

"Oh, sure," Jonathan replied sarcastically. "I always enjoy travelling via tree root."

A foul odor entered the cold dungeon, and Imhotep's gloating face appeared.

"Foolish mortals," he glowered. "Where is the boy?"

"Sorry to break the news, but you didn't get the family plan today," Rick retorted. "He stayed in England."

"You lie," the priest replied. "The boy will come to us, and then I will have the Manacle _and _the location of the Scrolls."

He turned to leave, and Weasler gave them a horrible grin before following.

Evy was struggling against the roots around her torso. "I'm not making a bit of headway," she panted after several vain attempts at freeing herself.

"What I wouldn't give for a bit of weed killer," Rick said, also struggling. Jena had thrown him a small knife before they were separated; although it wasn't very sharp it was still clasped in his hand and he was slowly sawing the branches in two.

The children were only a few floors up when they heard a voice exclaim in rapid German.

They exchanged a look and slowly creaked open the door from where the voice came. A man was standing by a chalkboard, his ankles bound in shackles. Beneath the bindings they could distinguish that one sock was spotty, and the other checked.

"Professor Einstein?" Alex asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Einstein replied, turning in surprise to see the two of them. "How did you know?"

He lowered his gaze to his feet. "Nice socks."

"I gauge them by thickness, so they always match," the mathematician replied. "Do I know you, young man?"

"I'm Alex – and this is Jena."

Jena smiled and waved one hand, turning to the wall beside the door. A key hung on a hook, and she took it to free the prisoner.

"My mom studied with you," Alex continued. "Her name was Evy Carnahan?"

"Ah," Einstein said, nostalgic as they exited the room and began making their way through the castle ruins. "I remember little Evelyn Carnahan. How is she doing now?"

"That's what we're wondering," Jena said, stopping suddenly. "Shh – I hear footsteps." After a moment her demeanor brightened. "Three sets! They're okay!"

She ran down the passageway and, when she met the three adults, threw herself at Rick with relief.

"Alex, Jena!" Evy exclaimed, embracing both of them. "Let's get out of here quickly – before Imhotep realizes we're all missing."

"You used to be such a reserved young woman," Einstein commented as they hurried.

"Battling mummies tends to change a girl," she replied.

#~#~#

"Gone!" Weasler exclaimed as he entered the room where Einstein had been captive. "All that's left is this boring gibberish."

He examined the chalkboard, which was covered in numbers and symbols, and a light dawned in his mind. "Gibberish? Hel_lo!_"

The Mummy stormed angrily through the passageway, and Weasler struggled to match his pace when he caught up. "Master – I have found the answer," he said. "It's degrees of latitude and longitude. The Scrolls of Thebes are in Borneo!"

"We will take the boy with us," the priest said.

Imhotep grasped the plant life that had grown into the ruin over time, sending energy to it in rage and saying another incantation.

The group, running towards the exit, was stopped suddenly as a huge plant-monster burst out of the ground. It looked like a cross between a dragon and a Venus fly trap, with giant fangs and a foul smell that emanated from every part of its form.

"I must say, Evelyn, physics is much less dangerous," Einstein said as they backed away from it.

It caught them all instantly. They all struggled to escape, but it was in vain. Jena swung her knife, but a branch slapped at her wrist and made her drop it.

Suddenly she gasped. "Papa!"

The stone wall beside the plant crumbled. Once the dust cleared they could all see a fist, and then they could distinguish that it belonged to Yue.

In the blink of an eye, he had Jena's fallen knife in his hand and had cut the restraining roots from the beast. Everyone struggled to free themselves from the still living plant which was crushing their ribcages.

Yue sliced the vines containing his daughter.

"Can you kill it?" Jena asked, throwing away the tree that was still trying to imprison her.

He turned his head to look at it while carelessly freeing Rick. "Doubtful. The vicious 'monster' is not alive; it's merely being controlled by energy. I assume the source is the high priest?" he confirmed while cutting the vines containing Jonathan. The Englishman screamed as the knife passed too close to his flesh.

"This was Italian made!" he complained, mourning the tear in his suit.

Yue ignored him, freeing the other three. A root slithered around his ankle, and he turned his attention back to the beast. It lunged at him, and he barely had enough time to call his Shield to defend them all. It seemed to appear in a small bubble before growing suddenly, expelling all of the live roots that were on the floor and leaving them in perfect safety.

Alex noticed him straining as his wings, folded against his back, glowed faintly before they shrank and disappeared. He seemed much less impressive with them gone.

The plant monster hadn't retreated and was still pressed against the barrier, as if wanting to break it.

"How are you escaping?" he asked, keeping his voice even.

"Um…"

Yue snapped his head to stare at Evy, who had spoken. "Don't you think these things through?" he demanded.

"We couldn't have known the forest would come alive!" Rick replied.

The monster gave a loud roar and shoved against the barrier. Yue's feet skidded back a couple of inches, and Jena made a worried noise in her throat.

"I can fly you out, but not all at once," he ground out between his teeth. "The Shield won't remain in my absence."

Before anyone could move or decide who would go first and who would remain, he vanished from sight along with Einstein, Evy and Jena.

The barrier evaporated, and the monster descended upon them. One branch headed straight for Alex, receiving a command from its energy source.

As soon as it touched Alex the Manacle glowed, sending bursts of power pulsing sporadically through the air. The beast melted into a pile of leaves and bark, and no other tree took its place. The Manacle had neutralized the entire forest from Imhotep's spell.

"Whoa," Alex said. He hadn't even been trying to do anything.

Yue reappeared in a flash, his wings spread again.

"What did you do?" he asked in amazement.

"Not me," the boy replied, frowning and holding up his jeweled wrist. The arukatasu stared at it intently.

Jonathan was anxiously edging away from the remains, fearful that they would come back to life again. "Well, hate to nearly be eaten and run, but – shall we?"

Yue swept the three of them out of the ruins, and after a rush of wind they were suddenly a mile away from Imhotep's presence.

"Papa!" Jena threw her arms around her father's waist. "I was worried when I couldn't sense you!"

He decided to let her believe he knew ways to conceal his presence.

Evy turned to her old teacher. "Professor, please tell me they don't have the answer to the formula."

"Ach, Evelyn," Einstein smiled. "I have been a teacher far too long to leave the correct answer out in plain view."

"Professor…"

"What I left on the board was gibberish. The Mummy and his 'genius' friend are headed in the wrong direction," he finished with pleasure.

"So… where are the real co-ordinates?" Rick asked.

"Up here," the mathematician tapped his head.

"I just hope the inside of his head doesn't look like the inside of his house," Jonathan said.

"So, while they're off on a wild goose chase, we'll be tracking down the Scrolls!" Evy looked like her birthday had come early. "Brilliant, Professor!"

"Danke schön," Einstein replied.

Alex was sitting on a tree stump by himself. "Trying to figure out this Manacle is just a waste of time," he complained, shaking his wrist. "It just does what it wants!"

"The search for the truth can be frustrating," Einstein explained, sitting beside him. "But if there is one thing I have learned, Alex, it is that the universe does not play dice. There is a pattern and a reason for everything – even if we don't understand it at the time. But the trick is to figure out what the pattern is. And you will."

Yue stared at the Manacle again, before switching his gaze to his daughter. Apparently she still had no idea why it was important to her, and he feared that it would restore her lost memory. He was only glad it hadn't happened yet.

_It will be soon_, a voice in his head replied. _You'll have to leave her for a while. It's time for you to take another test_.

He gritted his teeth. He didn't like leaving her unprotected, but it seemed that the High Priest wouldn't be near her for a while. He hoped this test wouldn't take long.


	8. Fear Itself

Always loved this one. And yes, I did skip the Cloud People episode.

**Fear Itself**

Mogoca

"I thought you said you were going to _Monaco_," Jonathan complained, shivering in his fur-lined clothing in the icy town. "Who's even heard of Mogoca?"

"Evidently, Genghis Khan," Rick replied dryly. "_This _is where he decided to store all his treasure from years of conquest."

"Hopefully including the Scrolls of Thebes," Alex added.

"Well, I'll take beaches and baccarat over beasts with bad breath _any _day," his uncle crossed his arms like a teenager. A yak drooled over his coat. "I think I'll wait in the Zephyr, away from my adoring fans."

Evy and Jena walked up to the boys, accompanied by an elderly man, as Jonathan walked away.

"Yefim had agreed to show us the Genghis Khan artifacts," the Englishwoman said excitedly. "Come on."

While the O'Connells each wore a thick, lined coat, Jena was wearing at least three layers of heavy coats as well as a balaclava underneath her hat. Even so, she was hugging herself tightly and her eyes looked miserable.

"Are you cold?" Alex asked. "Under all those clothes?" Tut was sitting on his shoulders and hugging his neck like a hot water bottle, so he didn't have a problem with the temperature.

Jena glowered. "People were not meant to live in a climate like this," she said, her voice muffled by the balaclava covering her mouth.

They followed Evy into a moderately-sized hut, where Yefim took a blanket off a pile of objects.

"The treasures of Genghis Khan," he said proudly, but everyone's face fell. The pile consisted of a few ripped leather boots, some broken pottery, and half a quiver of arrows.

"I know one man's trash is another man's treasure, but isn't this just junk?" Rick asked.

"Genghis Khan ruled the largest empire history's ever known. It stretched from the Mediterranean to the China Sea. This simply _can't _be everything."

"Soldiers came, took rest," Yefim replied in broken English. "They say all belong to government now."

"Do you know where they took them?" Alex asked.

"Da. The Oktober Palace."

"That's near Leningrad – over two thousand miles from here!" Evy wailed.

"Um…" shivered Jena. "I thought it was just the cold, but…"

To continue her thought, Imhotep appeared in the doorway.

"Is it just me, or are these guys following us around?" Rick exclaimed.

Energy pulsed from the high priest towards the fire pit in the center of the room, and the flames rose to form a monster. They all skidded out of the way. Jena overbalanced, tripped by her many layers, and rolled to the wall.

"First rule of camping?" Rick asked Alex as they skidded over to some buckets of water.

"Always put out your fires!"

The two of them grabbed a bucket each, and threw them on the fire pit. Its source doused, the monster evaporated into the air.

Imhotep angrily approached them. Rick shoved Alex out of the way. "Go!" he called out.

Evy helped Jena to her feet, and they headed for the cabin's exit with Alex. Weasler blocked their path.

"Going somewhere?" he asked.

Jena, now mad, took a couple of steps forward. She was pretty sure she was physically stronger than him, but her clothes prevented her from moving very fast. Raising a fist to punch the small man, he pushed her over with one hand. She overbalanced instantly and fell.

"I hate the cold," she muttered pathetically from the ground.

Tut leaped from Alex' shoulder onto Weasler, scratching at his eyes.

"Filthy little rat!" he cried.

"Takes one to know one," Alex replied.

When Jena saw his guard was lowered, she swung one leg into his ankles and, as she got up, jumped on him when he was down.

"That's why you don't mess with an arukatasu," she told him.

At that moment, the Manacle glowed and sent a burst of power towards the Mummy, who was wrestling with Rick and winning. The golden aura threw him across the hut and into the wall, giving Rick a chance to escape out the window with Yefim.

"Why did I not move to Pittsburgh with rest of family?" the Russian man asked himself.

Evy hailed them.

"Somebody call for a taxi?" she asked, riding a yak up to them. It was pulling a cart of hay, with the help of another beast. Alex and Jena jumped into the cart, while Rick rode the other yak.

Down the road to the Zephyr, Alex looked back to see the whirlwind. "We've got a Mummy on our tail!" he called to his parents.

Imhotep leaped out of the whirlwind, energy already swirling in his hands. Weasler fell to the ground, his glasses askew.

"It's okay, just… drop me anywhere," he said, not quite loud enough for the high priest to hear.

The Mummy landed on the edges of the cart.

"So much for hay rides being fun," Alex muttered, throwing straw in his face.

Ignoring the hay, Imhotep reached out. He missed Alex, but his clawed hand grasped one of Jena's coats. He raised her into the air, energy blazing.

Jena had been cocooned in the straw, and she had been happy about it. She was _not _happy to be forcefully dragged out of a warm place when the freezing air bit into her, and the aura coming from the high priest was so disgusting that it caused her pain. She turned her head towards Imhotep, her eyes glowing pale blue.

Fire exploded from her, throwing the Mummy backwards by about half a mile, and the very earth shook as the stone path threw up a trail of sharp rocks that snaked towards where he had fallen, encasing him in a small cavern that stopped him from moving.

Jena fell back into the hay, her eyes returning to normal.

"Warm," she murmured happily as she sank back into the hay.

Alex stared at her, making a mental note not to ever get on her bad side. Ever.

.

Leningrad

Rick cautiously opened the door to the old palace. Cobwebs gleamed under the light of his lantern, and boxes were piled and thrown everywhere.

"Looks like the whole place is just being used for storage," he commented.

"I guess with no more royal families, there's no need for palaces," Evy added, looking at an askew portrait of a Russian prince.

"It's humungous," Alex said in awe, swinging his lantern as high as he could. The entrance hall was easily bigger than the entire Zephyr.

"We'll have to split up," Evy said. "Jonathan, Jena and I will check things out down here."

"Alex and I will take the second floor," Rick agreed. "Meet back here in one hour."

As he and Alex walked up the unstable stairway, Jena shivered. "Why couldn't this place be nearer the equator?" she moaned.

"Keep an eye on each other," Evy called up to the two of them.

"You'd better keep _two _eyes on Uncle Jonathan," Alex replied with a grin.

Evy turned to look at her brother, who had taken a dirty golden cup out of its storage box and was subtly sneaking it into his coat. "Jonathan!"

Caught, he took it back out and set it down. "Now, how'd that get in there?"

They all searched, but the most interesting thing any of them found was a Russian doll. Alex was just about to open the last of them when his father called him away, and he left it back in its storage box.

On the ground floor, Jonathan was lost among all the items. "This place has everything but the kitchen sink!" he exclaimed as his lantern's light hit a ceramic bowl, a tap on the top of it. "I stand corrected."

Inside and protected from the wind and snow, Jena had actually removed one of her coats and was freer to move. "Something feels off," she said.

"What?" Evy asked instantly. She had learned to pay attention to Jena's bad feelings.

"The climate," the arukatasu answered dryly.

Her mother-figure smiled. "We'll be in a warmer place in no time," she said, picking up a small statue of a snow maiden.

A full-length mirror was in front of her, and she caught a glimpse of herself from the corner of her eye. The reflection showed an old woman, wrinkled and grey haired, in the exact pose that she was standing in.

The figurine in her hand slipped and broke as it hit the stone floor.

"What's the matter?" her brother asked.

Evy blinked, and her reflection was suddenly as it should be. "Nothing," she replied, moving away.

Jonathan passed the mirror on his way to the door, and paused to admire himself. "Hello there, you handsome devil," he said with a smile.

Jena was standing behind him. "Where?" she asked innocently, turning her head as if searching.

"Har-har," the Englishman replied sarcastically. In the next room he was examining a painting of a young Russian queen. He looked down at the vase of dead roses, sitting on the chest beneath, and when he glanced up again the queen was leaning out of the painting to grab him.

"Ah!" he scrambled backwards, and when he looked up the painting was just an image.

"Jonathan?" his sister asked in alarm.

"Uh – roses! I'm allergic. A-tchoo," he imitated an unrealistic sneeze and afterwards muttered, "Or maybe going insane."

Jena gave a cry from across the room.

"What is it?"

The girl shook her head violently. "Nothing. I thought it felt – nothing. It's the cold getting to me."

Evy held up an old piece of parchment. "This should make our search easier," she said. "Blueprints. Let's find Rick and Alex."

On the floor above, Rick walked out of the room and looked at the remaining corridor. It stretched before his eyes, until he couldn't see the end of it, and he gasped.

"Dad," Alex said, coming to stand next to him. "What is it?"

Rick rubbed his eyes and looked at the corridor again. It was completely normal, and the end was in plain sight – albeit several meters away.

"Uh – nothing. Nothing, son. All this running around the world is taking its toll, I guess."

The pair continued on to the next room, but Alex paused when he heard a noise. Tut said something in a chatter.

"I know what you mean," the redhead replied to his pet.

His father entered another door, and he heard another growl. Turning around, the redhead was horrified to see a foot-high brown creature walk down the corridor. It vaguely resembled a monkey, but its eyes contained a magenta glow that could only mean it was a gremlin of sorts.

"Please let me be imagining this," Alex said, backing away as it advanced. With a cry, he fell backwards as a hand approached him.

"Alex?" Rick asked.

"Dad, look out – behind you!"

Rick swung the light down the corridor, but found nothing. It was empty.

"I…" Alex began. "I heard a noise and got scared, I guess."

"Sounds like we could _all _use a rest," the American replied. They continued on, not seeing the gremlin quietly following behind them.

Evy found them quickly, and spread the parchment on the ground for them all to see. "It's a blueprint of the entire palace," she said.

"What's it say?" Alex asked, looking at the Russian writing.

"I don't know," his mother answered.

Jonathan took a look. "It's a list of Russian artifacts and where they're stored within the palace," he said.

"Since when do you speak Russian?" Rick demanded.

"I happen to have attended some of the finest universities in Europe," he replied importantly.

"That's because you kept getting expelled!" Evy added.

"Sounds about right," Jena said, pulling her third coat back on. It was getting colder.

"I _prefer _to think that I had absorbed all that those institutions had to offer."

"Does it say where the artifacts taken from Mogoca are kept?" his sister asked.

Jonathan examined the blueprints for a few minutes. "The attic," he replied with dismay. "But I say we leave. This place gives me the willies."

"Seconded," Jena added to everyone's surprise. She rarely, if ever, agreed with Jonathan. "We could come back in summer? In five year's time?"

"It's just an attic," Evy said, although she would have liked to leave as well. "What's there to be afraid of?"

At that moment, the arukatasu gave a sudden and ear-splitting scream before dashing towards Rick for protection.

"What? What is it?" he demanded.

Shaking and peeking out from behind his coat, she stared at a dark corner.

"I – I thought I saw a lizard," she stammered. "I guess I was wrong."

"You're afraid of lizards?" Alex asked.

At the word, Jena gave an uncontrollable shudder.

They were climbing the stairs, careful of rotten wood, when Evy shivered uncontrollably.

"Mom, are you okay?"

"A chill just ran up my spine," she said. "It feels like it just dropped 50 degrees in here."

"Welcome to my world," Jena replied, walking past her to catch up with Rick.

"It must be a draft," the woman continued, although she was unconvinced.

"Cold spots are a well-documented feature of haunted houses," Jonathan added grimly from a few steps below.

"There's no such thing as a haunted house!"

They continued up the stairs as he added quietly, "Just like there's no such thing as a mummy?"

Evy placed one foot on a step, and it crumbled along with three on either side. Before it could fall to the storey below, Jena leaped down, grasped the woman's waist, and then jumped back to Rick's level.

"Explain that, Miss. There's-No-Such-Thing-As-A-Haunted-House!" Jonathan demanded, pointing at the gaping hole.

"A rotten board – that's all!"

"Oh, yes? Well that's not the only thing rotten around here," he continued as Rick snapped his whip onto a beam in the ceiling, swinging the end to Alex so he could cross the hole. "A portrait in one of the rooms reminded me of a young lady I once knew. She tried to snare me in a web of matrimony. Of course, you can't blame the girl for trying – like all her gender she sensed my power and strength."

"Jonathan, the point?" Evy asked. Alex had crossed and let the whip travel back to his uncle.

"The painting came alive and attacked me," he finished, swinging across the gap. "This house is possessed."

"Normally I'd hate to agree with Jonathan," Rick said, retrieving his whip and twisting it up. "But something weird really may be going on. Earlier I was thinking how endless the search for the Scrolls was, when boom! The hallway seemed to stretch in front of me forever."

"Something strange happened to me, too," Evy confessed. "I was thinking I'd be wrinkled and grey by the time we found the scrolls. Just then, I saw myself in the mirror as an old woman."

"I was thinking how the cold was going to drain all my powers away before I can use them," Jena said. "Then I lost all sense of presence. I couldn't feel any of the energies that were there before."

"But you pulled me and jumped further than an 11-year old should be able to," Evy said in confusion. "So if your powers are gone – "

The girl shook her head. "It came back after a moment. But it was weird."

"See, I'm not so crazy after all," Jonathan said.

Rick thought. "So, something out there seems to be able to turn our own fears against us. But what?"

Alex remembered what he had seen. "Maybe a spooky little gremlin thing with glowing red eyes?"

He explained as they entered the attic at the top of the stairs. "I think it may have been inside some nesting dolls. At first I thought I was seeing things, but then it appeared again. And it was bigger."

"There's an old Russian myth about a creature called a Gogle," Jonathan said. "Growing in size and strength as it feeds off its victim's fears."

"Great," Rick said. "And we're its five-course meal."

"Wait – what if we only think happy thoughts? We'd starve the little blighter, right?" the Englishman turned to a suit of armor in time to see its visor lift. Inside was a painted white face with bright red cheeks and exaggerated lips. The armor leaned down and the face laughed at him.

He screamed and jumped backwards. "But I wasn't even thinking about clowns!" he protested. Another face popped forwards on a bouncing spring from another suit, and the first one joined it. There was one on either side of him.

Jena was confused. "They're just clowns," she protested. One appeared behind her, and she kicked it back without hesitating.

"Jonathan's been terrified of clowns ever since he was a little boy," Evy explained.

Alex felt something on his wrist and looked down to the Manacle, pushing his coat sleeve out of the way. The golden glow was getting brighter.

"Not again," he said. "It's out of control!"

Energy shot out, hitting the chandelier in the middle of the ceiling and causing it to fall and crash in the middle of the room.

"I was afraid this would happen," he said when they all ducked out of its path. "This thing is going to wipe out all of us."

"Hey, I have an idea," Jonathan said. "Let's all run as far away from this place as possible. Sound like a plan?"

"I'm with him," Jena agreed, suppressing a shudder.

"We can't leave," his sister protested. "What if the Scrolls are in one of these rooms?"

"What if the _Gogle_ is in one of these rooms?"

"We'll have to take that chance," Rick said.

"Rick's right," Evy agreed. "As long as we're together, we're stronger than the Gogle. We have nothing to fear but fear itself."

"But I'm worried," Jena admitted. "If this creature is strong enough to take away my abilities – even for a _moment_ – what else can it do?"

They walked into the next room, and Evy shivered again.

"It definitely just got colder," Rick stated.

"Good think I'm wearing my thermal underwear!" Jonathan said.

"That's one visual I didn't need."

As Evy walked into the middle of the room, the floor beneath her became glassy and slippery.

"Oh, no – ice!" she exclaimed as it formed slowly. She froze as it cracked under her feet.

"Don't move," Rick warned.

"Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts," Jonathan chanted, shutting his eyes.

Jena snapped her head around as the sound of growling became louder. "There!" she pointed to a beast in the corner. It was now over two feet tall.

Alex looked. "That's it; that's the Gogle!"

"No, it's coming true," Evy said as the ice continued to shatter.

"What is?"

Jonathan filled them in. "She fell through the ice in a big lake when she was a little girl. Ever since then she's been scared of the ice!"

"Evy, I'm coming," Rick said, but the ice had reached him and frozen his feet to the ground. "My feet – I can't move!"

Jena, shivering miserably, suddenly gave an exclamation. She stared at the doorway in shock, utter fear crossed her face.

A man entered the room. He had long black hair that gleamed green when it hit the light, and plated armor all over his body. A red sash was around his waist with an eye stared at them, but she was petrified by his face – or rather, his lack of it. Where eyes, nose and mouth should have been, there was only skin.

Alex recognized him. "I've seen him before – he's the guy who's attacked Jena in one of my visions, back when we first met!" he exclaimed.

Jena was backing away from him, but he floated over the ice towards her. She kept saying something in her own language – or possibly… Chinese? – shaking her head slowly.

"We've gotta stop the Gogle," Alex said to his uncle, but Jonathan suddenly jumped away from him with a scream as if he were toxic. He ran from the room.

Alex turned to the little gremlin by himself. "I'm not afraid of you, Peewee!" he said, but the Manacle glowed again. A cobra came out of it twisting up his arm and around his body. "The Manacle's alive!"

"Alex!" his father attempted again to move, but the ice had completely frozen his legs in place. At that moment, the shards under Evy's feet shattered, and she fell into a puddle of freezing water.

She swam up to the water's surface, but the ice had formed over the hole and she was trapped. She pounded the glass, but it was solid.

The faceless man snatched Jena's left hand. She didn't move, but let him pull her closer. He took a knife hidden between his armor and traced the blade up her arm, cutting off her many coat sleeves until her skin was exposed.

The cold air hit her suddenly, and she let out a scream.

Yue crashed through the roof, fire blazing in his hands.

The faceless man turned to him, and his countenance suddenly formed. He had cruel brown eyes with a black mark crossing through each of them diagonally, and his mouth was twisted into a grin. He looked Asian, but not quite _all _Asian.

Yue's eyes narrowed. "I fear no illusion," he said, the flames increasing.

A jet of fire shot from him, hitting the man until he evaporated. Then the arukatasu hurried to his petrified daughter.

"That's right," Rick said. "I'm afraid I won't be able to save the people I love, but I can't let that fear control me." Bending down, he began pounding at the ice that held his feet captive.

Alex grasped the serpent, and energy shot from its mouth. He aimed it towards his father, freeing him from the ice.

"Good shot, Alex!" Rick hurried to the spot where his wife had fallen.

Jonathan was running frantically through the palace. Clowns sprang from portraits and every dark place, startling him and making him feel like he was losing his mind.

"I'm not afraid of clowns, I'm not afraid of clowns," he repeated to himself. "I'm _petrified_ of clowns!"

Running, he bumped into a tall figure. It was Imhotep.

"The Scrolls," he demanded, holding out one hand. "And I shall spare your worthless life."

Up in the attic, Rick stood over the ice where Evy had fallen.

"Evy, we need you," he said. "You've got to fight."

She nodded beneath the ice, gathered up her courage, and punched the ice again and again until it broke. With one hand in the air, Rick grasped it and helped her out of the water. Once she was in safety, the ice vanished and the temperature rose again.

Alex gave a sigh of relief, and the Manacle glowed. "Not again," he sighed, but it wasn't attacking him. It led him to a box that also had a golden glow. He opened it to see a ripped piece of ancient parchment. "Mom, is this what I think it is?" he asked, taking it to her.

Evy examined it. "I believe it's a piece of the Scrolls of Thebes!" she said excitedly.

"Finally some good news," Rick said in relief.

"Alright! Maybe I can finally say bye-bye to the Manacle," the boy was delighted.

Yue walked up to them at that moment, Jena cradled in one arm, and snatched the parchment from Evy to examine it.

"You only had to ask," she said stiffly.

Jena was hugging her father's neck tightly. She didn't seem the least bit afraid now that the illusions had vanished, and the sleeves of her coats that had been ripped were all repaired as if they hadn't been touched.

"Papa, who was that man?" she asked.

"Someone it is better you have no knowledge of," he replied.

Tut strolled across the floor, the now-tiny gremlin in his mouth.

"Have no fear – Tut is here!" Alex announced, opening the box the parchment had been in and trapping the Gogle inside it.

"The High Priest is coming," Yue informed them, returning the piece of the scrolls to Rick. He had already read it thoroughly. Rick rolled it up and hid it in his coat pocket just before Imhotep entered the room.

"Give me the Scrolls – now!" he commanded.

"Okay, okay, don't get your bandages in a bunch," Rick replied. "Give him the box, Sport. He deserves all that's in it."

Jonathan ran in from another door, yelling, "Imhotep's in the – " he stopped abruptly when he saw the Mummy already there. "Palace," he finished in a quieter tone. "So much for that news flash."

Alex set the box on the ground and slid it across the floor to the Mummy.

"Let's go," Evy said. "There's nothing else for us here."

The O'Connells turned and left the room with Yue and Jena, and began sprinting as soon as they were out of sight. They heard shouts and yells behind them.

"Couldn't have happened to a couple of nicer guys," Rick grinned as they left the old palace.

#~#~#

On the Zephyr, thankfully leaving that horrible place, Alex kept jostling his mother's arm.

"Is it the real deal, Mom?" he kept asking.

"It's a page of the Scrolls that you seek," Yue stated. He was sitting on the sofa, Jena lying with her head on his lap asleep. "But it won't help you remove Lord Osiris's bracelet."

"He's right," Evy agreed regretfully. "There _is _some kind of an incantation, though. But how can you read ancient Egyptian?"

"My father taught me as a boy," he replied, making sure his daughter was asleep and could hear nothing of the conversation.

"Who was that man Jena was afraid of?" Alex asked. "I've seen him in a vision."

Yue's head snapped to the boy. "You've seen _him?_" he repeated in astonishment. "That's impossible! He's dead!"

"Didn't look it to me," replied the redhead.

"How old did he appear in the vision?" the arukatasu asked urgently.

"Um… he looked the same as he did in the palace. Except he had a face."

"That's… impossible…" Yue repeated slowly.

"How come a face grew when you showed up?" Rick asked.

"The day The Destroyer's Apprentice tried to kill us was the worst day of our lives," he said, staring at the ground. "My daughter remembers nothing of it, nor of any of her life preceding that day. I am not so fortunate. I remember what he looked like, and what he did." He paused. "It was the 10th anniversary of her birth. It's been two years to the day since then."

"It's her birthday today?" Evy questioned in astonishment. "She never said anything!"

"I understand your culture gives gifts for such occasions," Yue replied. "We don't do that."

"But it was Alex' birthday a couple months ago, and she was there for the party. She – she even carved something out of a block of wood as a gift for him."

"It would have been unnatural for her to celebrate something so mundane."

"Mundane?" Jonathan echoed. "I'll have you know that a few years ago was the best birthday celebration anyone could have! We – "

Alex wasn't listening as he stared out the window. He may still be wearing the Manacle, but they had found a piece of the scrolls. And maybe the incantation on it could help him understand the bracelet better.

In any case, they were getting closer. Soon they would find the Scrolls of Thebes.


	9. Memories Last Forever

Renamed from "The Boy Who Would Be King". This was one of the first ones I wrote.

**Memories Last Forever**

"_In my heart, I dream of all that used to be;_

_The place that we called 'Memories'_

_That now, time has taken all from me. _

_All alone, I wandered down this paradise;_

_How I used to look in your eyes, kissed your smile,_

_And treasured all these times…_

_._

_Now I know, I have to walk this road alone;_

_The road that takes me far from you, from your love,_

_From the one I call my own._

_Leaving you, I never can forget that time;_

_The time we thought that all was fine,_

_Suddenly I hope that you are mine…_

_._

_Memories last forever,_

_Pains that stayed within me._

_Dreaming of you, they never come true… _

_Magic of the moment,_

_Come and gone forever._

_Taking your love, away from my world." – Eternal Memory, Lena Park_

_._

China

"Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, and Marco Polo," Jonathan whined. "Why did they all traipse around the globe with the scrolls, anyway?"

"Marco Polo opened one of the first land-trade routes to China," Alex answered.

"He also may have brought the rest of the scrolls here as a gift to the great leader Kublai Khan," Evy added.

"I guess a fruit basket was out of the question," the English man mumbled.

Rick turned toward the small market they had just entered. "So where do we start?"

"The Emperor's palace at the Forbidden City," Evy's eyes lit up at the thought of the chance to examine something with such historical meaning.

"Isn't the Forbidden City off-limits to outsiders? Hence the name?" her brother asked.

"Ooh, salt in the wound," Jena grinned at the enthusiastic archeologist.

"Technically, yes. But I have a plan. Just a few… last details to work out."

"Like… how to get inside?" Rick prodded.

"Precisely."

"Out of the way!" a young Chinese boy Alex' age pushed through the crowd, shoving Jonathan into a basket of wet food that stuck to his white suit. He groaned at the mess, but the rest of the group ignored him as Rick caught the intruder and lifted him easily into the air.

"Let go!" the absconder struggled. "They are after me!"

"Who?"

"Them!" he pointed, and they all saw several guards closing in on them.

"Wait a minute. What's going on?"

"Do not interfere," the head guard commanded, pushing him out of the way and chasing the boy.

"Alex, Jena," Evy turned to the children. "Get him to someplace safe."

Alex nodded, and the three of them ran down the street. As the guards walked under a fabric canopy, Evy knocked out one of its supports and the material fell on top of them.

Down the street, the youths took advantage of the guards' distraction and hid under a table covered with a long cloth.

"I'm Alex, and this is Jena," the redhead grinned.

"Jin-Wu," the runaway grinned back. "Thank you for helping me."

"It's only the price of popularity," Jena said cheerfully, loving this little bit of excitement.

Just at that moment, the head guard lifted the table from above them. On the verge of seizing his target, the three were relieved when Evy appeared and smashed a vase on the man's head, dazing him.

"You will regret that," the other guards closed in, and the O'Connell's group gathered protectively around Jin-Wu.

"Ideas?" Evy asked nervously.

"Do you suppose whining and begging would help?" Jonathan suggested.

"Alex, maybe it's time to test-drive that piece of the scrolls we found," Rick said.

Alex quickly searched for the scrap. "Uh…" he turned to his family only to see Jena holding it out to him. "How did you get that?"

"I may have borrowed it last night and fell asleep before I remembered to give it back."

"You went through my clothes?"

"It's not like you were wearing them at the time!"

"Alex!" his mother scolded.

"Right," he took the piece of the scroll and faced the guards, reading off it. "'To move that which is without, the power lies within'." He read the incantation.

Nothing.

Making a wild noise, he cried, "It _should_ work!"

As the guards moved closer, the group heard an old man cry, "Stop!"

The sentinel moved aside to show a man dressed in fine silks. He bowed and spoke. "Your humble servants are jealous of your absence." The guards also bowed.

"I'm confused – since when are attackers so polite?" Jonathan asked.

"They are not my attackers," Jin-Wu said, walking forward reluctantly. "They are my bodyguards."

"Bodyguards?"

He spoke again, and this time it was bitter. "The Emperor is not _allowed_ to leave the palace."

"_Emperor?_"

"Okay, now I'm _really_ confused," Jonathan put his hand up to his head.

Jin-Wu walked forward, and one of the guards fell to his hands and knees to act as a step for him, allowing him to climb into the palanquin the old man had brought. The man closed the door, and the travelers saw the young Emperor move his hand to bring the old man closer. They heard whispering, and the servant turned to the O'Connells and bowed deeply.

"His Highness wishes you to accompany him into the Forbidden City."

There was a long pause.

"See?" Evy said triumphantly. "I _told_ you we'd get into the Forbidden City."

Everyone else slapped their foreheads, but climbed into the Emperor's palanquins nonetheless. As they journeyed through the countryside, Jonathan made himself extremely comfortable.

"I could get used to this," he said as he closed his eyes.

"Wow," Alex gazed out at the scenery and pointed. "Look!"

"The Forbidden City," Evy said. "Home of the Emperors of China for almost 500 years."

Rick looked uncertainly at the arukatasu. "Jena, are you alright?" he asked.

Jena was staring at the landscape with a nostalgic expression. "Yeah," she said absently. "I just get the feeling I've been here before."

"You said before you've never been to China," Alex said. "Maybe it's another place that looks the same."

Her forehead creased, worried despite herself. The country gave her a strange feeling. "Yeah."

As they walked into the palace, Jena scrutinized the architecture intently.

"Recognize anything else?" Alex whispered as they approached the Emperor.

"No," she answered. "These rich buildings aren't familiar."

At the throne, the five of them stopped. Evy and Jena gave a deep waist bow before Rick and then Alex caught on. After a moment Rick pulled Jonathan into the correct position, and when they straightened up, pulled him up again.

"Alex, you and your family were very brave to protect the Emperor," Jin-Wu said expressionlessly. "Here is your reward."

He motioned his hand, and two servants carried in a large chest. When they opened it, Jonathan quickly began ogling the hundreds of glimmering jewels and precious stones inside it.

"Who knew being brave paid so well?" he moved towards the chest, but Rick held him back.

"Thank you, your Majesty, but we cannot accept your generosity."

"You know, this goody-two shoes thing is really getting tiresome," his brother-in-law folded his arms, annoyed.

"There is _one_ thing we would ask his Majesty for," Evy moved forward eagerly. "We're searching for a set of scrolls Marco Polo may have brought with him to the Forbidden City. We'd like your permission to study the royal records."

"Very well," Jin-Wu agreed. "The Emperor grants you access to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. In the meantime, you shall all be the Emperor's guests." He clapped his hands twice, and servants began bringing in exotic food.

"Ooh, what are those? Shrimp?" Jonathan asked eagerly. "Maybe just a few…" He instantly began stuffing his face, and even took the tray off the woman holding it. "You can leave the plate with me."

Jena's face turned red with mortification. Nudging Rick, she asked, "Why on earth do you bring him along? He does nothing but hinder and embarrass you."

"I think you'd better ask his sister," the man answered.

"I notice you disowned her in that moment."

Jin-Wu spoke to her and Alex. "While your parents look through the records, I could give you a tour."

"Great," the redhead grinned excitedly.

In the courtyard they passed several notice-worthy things before they saw one of the Emperor's bodyguards writing on a blackboard in elegant symbols.

"What's he writing?" Alex asked.

"'The Emperor is not allowed to leave'," Jena replied.

The redhead turned to her. "Since when can _you _read Chinese? You can barely read English!"

"I'm learning," she replied defensively.

Alex turned back to the chalkboard. "But I don't get it – why is _he _writing that?"

Jin-Wu walked with his back straight and his arms behind him. "The Emperor cannot make mistakes. If I do something wrong, one of _them_ gets punished to make up for it."

Alex was suitably impressed. "Wow. You are the luckiest kid in the world."

"Not really," the young Emperor finally allowed some emotion to enter his face. "I am a prisoner in my own palace. I am not even allowed to see my own country. Nobody respects me. They do what I say because I am the Emperor. But they do not take me seriously because I am young."

"My parents can be the same way," Alex said.

"Since when did they do as you say?" Jena grinned.

Once they had been shown around, Jin-Wu had Alex and Jena rig a trampoline beside the wall surrounding the palace and they were all bouncing on it in attempt to see the village on the other side even for a moment.

"The Emperor is bored," Jun-Wu announced, jumping to the ground. The other two followed.

"Perhaps the Emperor has forgotten it is time for his imperial lesson," Lin Chou came up behind them. "I am sure Master Alex and Miss Jena will join you." He led them through the courtyard. In the middle of the grass, near a small fountain, was where the four of them began practicing "inner harmony".

"Tai Chi is so boring – like everything else around here," Jin-Wu complained a few minutes in to the lesson.

"Perhaps it is difficult to find inner harmony when your Highness's mouth flaps like a flag in a typhoon," Lin Chou commented.

Jena tried to stifle her laughter. Jun-Wu glared at everyone around him and dropped his arms. "The Emperor has had enough inner harmony for today," he said, walking off.

"Wait," Alex said, going after him. The mentor's voice stopped him.

"Focus is the key."

"What?"

"The Manacle around your wrist. It is very powerful, is it not?" the master did not cease his flowing movements.

"How'd you know?" Alex asked.

"I sense its energy," he said simply.

"It's called the Manacle of Osiris."

"You seek to control it?"

"Huh," he sighed. "I've tried. We found this piece of the scrolls which is supposed to tell me how to move things."

"Telekinesis," Lin Chou mused.

"Yeah, but it doesn't work."

"Focus is the key," he repeated his former words. "The power is within _you_."

"What does that mean?"

"Everything in the universe has a yin and a yang component. The power comes as much from you as it does the Manacle. My master used to say, 'a cup without a handle is a bowl. But a handle without a cup is useless'."

Jena was nodding in agreement, but Alex looked thoroughly confused.

#~#~#

Yue paced the living room in his home restlessly.

His wife entered the room, a worried look on her face. "You've been in here for an hour," she said with concern.

He stopped his pacing.

"Jena is in China," he explained simply.

Chione looked even more worried.

China. The most dangerous place on earth. Even more so, since apparently _he _was still alive. Yue should have been quicker to prevent his daughter from crossing the border, but he was unsure where it was. And he wasn't sure if he dared to follow her into the country. Jena had yet to activate her first portal, so her presence wasn't likely to be detected – but Yue had passed several tests and had a much stronger aura. To follow her may sign her death warrant.

"Do you really believe the vision the boy had is real?" she asked. "It could have been an illusion caused when Jena touched the Manacle, based on her locked memories. It's likely she's still very connected to its energies."

"Of course I've considered that," Yue replied. "But if she's connected to it, so is _he. _It's not worth the risk."

"Then shouldn't you go?" Chione said with great hesitation. "I know it's dangerous, but you're much stronger than before. You have the help of several of your agents, now."

Images flashed through his mind, memories of his previous encounter with The Destroyer's Apprentice. Injury, pain… and a death that should not have happened.

"Even that may not be enough. If he's there, and set on killing her…" he trailed off. "There will not be another man to die for our escape. Next time, it will be me."

Taking a deep breath, Yue made up his mind. "I'm going after her."

#~#~#

In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Rick and Evy were beginning to check the library.

"These records go back nearly 800 years," the woman said eagerly. "Imagine the history!"

"Imagine the eye strain," Rick opposed. "Evy, there are hundreds of volumes here."

"I know," she answered enthusiastically. "Isn't this exciting? We'd better get started."

Picking up a book and sighing, her husband said, "That's what I get for marrying a librarian."

Several hours later, she spoke again.

"I think this is it."

Rick looked the direction his wife's voice was coming from, but failed to see her behind the mound of books and scrolls. She crawled out from the mountain and held out the book. "It says here that Kublai Khan presented Marco Polo's valuable gift to the gods at the Han Dynasty shrine just outside the Forbidden City."

"Finally," Rick dropped the scrolls in his hands and stretched.

"These scrolls must be of great value," Jin-Wu's voice came from the doorway.

"They are to us, your Majesty," Evy agreed. "But there are a few Chinese symbols I don't recognize. Perhaps Lin Chou could help us with the translation."

The Emperor took the book from her and silently glanced at the place she had been reading. Closing it, he said unsmilingly, "I will tell Lin Chou you are looking for him."

Taking the book back, Evy said in a somewhat surprised voice, "Oh. Thank you, your Highness."

It was dusk when Jin-Wu found his new friends in the courtyard, still practicing Tai Chi. Jena was beginning to get bored, having done this before, but Alex was still keen and she stayed with him.

"Alex, Jena," the Emperor approached them. "I have just discovered where the scrolls you seek are located."

"That's great. I'll go get my mom and dad."

"Wait," Jin-Wu stopped him almost anxiously. "We will go and get the Scrolls ourselves. It will be a surprise."

Grinning, Alex said, "Trust me; my parents aren't big on surprises. I'd better tell them."

"If you tell them then I will not take you to the scrolls," the young monarch said in a hard voice.

"Why not?"

"Because this is our chance to prove we are not just children," he folded his arms. "But the choice is up to you."

There was a pause as he considered. "Jena, what do you think?"

Jena, who had been watching the boys' exchange silently, shrugged and said, "I'm always up for some adventure. How hard can it be to go and pick up a few scrolls? It doesn't seem to be _proving_ anything."

"There is supposedly a great dragon guarding the shrine," Jin-Wu explained. "I do not believe this, but there must be _something_ to stop intruders."

"Hmm..." Grinning, the arukatasu turned to her friend, "Sounds like adventure to me."

Sighing, Alex said, "Yeah, I guess."

The three waited until it was completely dark before sneaking through the palace grounds carrying the large trampoline. It was heavy, so Jena and Alex carried it while Jin-Wu kept watch for guards.

"Someone's coming," he whispered frantically. They quietly set the trampoline down and the three of them hid behind it. They all held their breaths as the man's footsteps got louder and louder. Eventually, they passed.

Jena grinned as she and Alex picked up the trampoline again. "This is fun, isn't it?" she asked, bright-eyed.

"Depends on your definition," Alex replied grimly. Getting to the wall, they set down their instrument and took a step back.

"Follow me," Jin-Wu said, and took a running jump. Leaping off the trampoline, he turned in a side-ways somersault and landed lightly on the top of the wall, facing them.

"Impressive," Jena approved.

"Uh, ladies first," Alex said.

She flashed him a smile. "Thank you." Following the Emperor's lead, she did exactly the same as him except she turned a full head-over-heels flip when in the air.

"Show-off," Jin-Wu muttered.

Alex took a deep breath and ran at the trampoline. Bouncing off it, he under-estimated its height and went flying over the wall. A tree branch broke his fall, but he groaned and rubbed his head as he said to Jin-Wu, "This is why gates were invented."

Jena laughed quietly and jumped down from the wall, followed by the Emperor.

Inside the palace, Rick and Evy were expectantly waiting for Lin Chou to read the symbols they couldn't understand.

"I'm glad the Emperor was kind enough to ask you to help us," Evy said.

"I am afraid I have not seen his Majesty for hours," the old man replied.

"Really?" after a confused pause she went on to say, "Well, I've found the possible location of the scrolls, but I need help translating this last phrase."

Lin Chou saw the difficult passage. "It says, 'respect the Shinshein, for haste will bring destruction'."

"Okay, I give up," Rick said. "What's a Shinshein?"

"It is a great dragon of incredible power which protects the sacred shrine of the Han Dynasty. If it is disturbed, it will destroy those who woke it from slumber and all who get in its way."

"Isn't there a way to control it?" the American asked.

"Legends speak of one it will hear," Lin Chou answered. "However, none tell of who this person is."

"Perhaps the Manacle will make it listen to Alex," Evy mused.

"But what if it doesn't?" Rick said. "We can't put him in that position."

"You're right. But then what can we do?"

#~#~#

The three children finally reached the shrine, but Alex was getting second thoughts about the whole ordeal.

"I'm not so sure this is such a good idea," he said.

"After all your adventures, I did not expect such cowardice from you," Jin-Wu commented as he walked inside, ignoring the warning symbols surrounding the entrance.

Jena frowned. "Alex is right; I can sense the great energy coming from inside this temple. We should go back to the palace and research the legends properly to try and figure out what we're up against."

"I thought you were always up for adventure?"

"Adventure is one thing, but recklessness is another. Besides…" she let a cloud of fear enter her eyes as she took a step closer to Alex, "I don't like the feel of this place."

"You two can go back, but _I _am going to get the scrolls," Jin-Wu continued inside.

"Hey, wait!" Alex called after him. Turning to Jena, he said, "We can't let him go in alone."

Nodding, she took a deep breath and slipped her hand into his. Smiling brightly, she said, "Now I feel fine."

Alex laughed awkwardly, blushing slightly, and the two of them entered the shrine after Jin-Wu.

There was a quiet breeze, and Alex shivered. "Did you guys feel that?"

"Yes," Jena said at the same time Jin-Wu replied, "No."

There was a pause filled with deathly-silence. Jena winced, "I don't like this presence. We should really get out of here!"

"Not without the scrolls!" the Emperor sprang forward and began running to the central chamber.

"Jin-Wu, wait!" Suddenly, a flash of dark green sprang from the ground, throwing shattered rocks everywhere, and a mighty dragon was blocking their way. Smoke blazed from its nostrils, and they could hear its heavy breathing.

"Don't move," Jena said, unexpectedly calm and speaking quietly. "Don't make eye contact, and take slow steps backwards. And _don't _sneeze."

"How do you know – "

"Ask questions later. _If _we're still alive."

The three of them slowly moved back, but Jin-Wu tripped over a rock that jutted out of the ground and caught his heel. The beast was angered by the sudden movement, and it took a deep breath.

"Now – "

"Run!" she shouted, the two of them turned and sprinted as flames belched towards them.

"There's a statue over there, hide behind it!" Alex pointed, and they ran and took cover not a moment too soon. The fire rushed passed them, making their skin crawl with the heat of it. The young Emperor stepped boldly out of his cover once the momentary danger had gone. Despite his confidence, he was trembling.

"I – I am Jin-Wu, Emperor of China, and I command you to – "

The dragon took another deep breath, and he ducked back into his cover to wait for the fire to pass again. It was hotter than before, and the beast was by no means stupid. It moved forward to trap its targets in their protection.

A cold, horrible laugh rang through the shrine, and Jena's breath hitched painfully as she shrank into Alex' side.

The temple's protector moved into sight, and the three children saw a man now standing on its back. He stared down at them, grinning evilly. He was dressed in plated armor and wore gloves made of dragon scales. His straight black hair hung down just below his waist, and it had a greenish tinge in the light. His piercing eyes were light brown, but they had a black diagonal stripe over them. His skin was pale – he was clearly Chinese, but perhaps only half. Alex instantly recognized him as the man in the vision he had seen when Jena first touched the Manacle – and the illusion of the faceless man that Jena feared in the palace at Leningrad.

The arukatasu stopped breathing.

"What authority does a child have to command a dragon?" he asked. "When you have lived a century, I will acknowledge you. When you have lived a millennium, I will heed you. When you live as long as I have, I will consider you an equal. Emperor or not, you are nothing against me, _child_."

Jin-Wu couldn't even speak.

Alex, seeing both his companions were frozen, took a step forward and held his wrist out. "Let us leave," he said, trying to sound confident. "I'm warning you; you have no idea what I'm capable of."

"The Manacle of Osiris," the newcomer smiled, his entire face lighting up. "It's been a while since I've seen _that_. Give it to me, and I will permit you to leave here alive."

The redhead's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Aren't you afraid of what I can do with it?" he asked.

"If you could truly control it, you would have attacked me the second I appeared." Jumping off the dragon's back, he landed in front of the boy. "Now, boy, that bracelet has great sentimental value to me. Hand it over. Or I will have Huõ burn your body and take it from your stinking corpse."

Alex glanced nervously at the Manacle on his wrist. "Sentimental… value? What do you mean?"

He glared, now angry. "I mean that it's _mine_. It's none of your business. You should respect your elders' privacy." His scaly hand shot out and grasped it, and the shackle glowed as it showed both of them a vision.

_The Shinshein's controller and an adult Jena were in each other's embrace and passionately kissing_.

"Arg!" Alex broke free and rubbed his eyes fiercely, trying to stop the unwanted image from reaching him. "Gross, gross, gross!"

"Alex, what is it?" Jin-Wu asked.

"Something I did _not_ need to see!" He had stepped away from the man, and as he looked he saw the Shinshein controller staring into space in shock with his hand still outstretched.

"Alex, there is no time to hesitate," the Emperor said.

"You're right," the redhead said, looking at the Manacle. If he could prove to this dragon-tamer that he _could_ use the Manacle, maybe they could all get out alive. "Okay, focus. To move that which is without, the power – "

A blast of fire made him break off in shock. He didn't have time to dodge, but at the last second something hit him and dragged him behind the cover of a statue.

The Shinshein's master approached, another evil smile in place. "Well, if it isn't the brat," he said smoothly. "You _and _the Manacle, all in the same day. These three thousand years haven't been a waste after all. Although, I _am _surprised that you're letting someone else wear _our _relic."

Jena squirmed in fear, and hid behind the statue as she shook in terror. "Jena?" Alex asked worriedly. Her face was filled with panic.

"Shouldn't such an important symbol of our _friendship _be treated with more care?" the man continued, his words mocking.

The Shinshein took another deep breath.

"Stop," its master commanded calmly, walking up to the trembling girl.

Alex stood between them in her defense. "Don't come any closer," he ordered.

"This dispute is age-old, you have nothing to do with her," he effortlessly shoved him out of the way with a small burst of energy, his gaze never leaving the girl. He knelt in front of her. "You recognize me, don't you?"

Jena moved as far back as she could, nodding.

"Good," pleasure filled his face. "You retain all your memories while still having no knowledge of them. Perfect." Cruelty entered his expression again. "I think I'll shatter that Blank seal on you. This is going to hurt."

He reached out to touch her forehead with two fingers, but as she clenched her eyes shut he stopped when he felt a stone skip off his back. He spun around to the two boys, who were pelting him with as large rocks as they could throw. "Zǐsè-Huõ, kill them and bring me that golden bracelet!"

In his distraction, Jena took the opportunity to run over to and past her accomplices. "Let's go, we have to get away from him!"

Alex and Jin-Wu both ran out of the shrine as fast as they could and through the arch at its entrance, but the frantic girl was nowhere in sight. The Shinshein followed them, but its body wasn't small enough to fit through the arch and it got stuck, sending plate-sized scales everywhere as it struggled for freedom.

"That will not hold it forever," Jin-Wu said.

"I have an idea," Alex said, picking up a dark green scale. "Grab a dragon scale."

The two of them ran to the edge of the cliff. "What about Jena?"

"We don't have time to look for her – anyway, she can handle herself. She's probably escaped already."

They glanced back as the Shinshein broke free of its temporary chain, and then looked at the cliff face again.

"I hope you know what you are doing," the Emperor said worriedly.

"So do I," Alex confided before throwing the scale over the cliff and jumping on top of it, sliding down the rocks.

Rather than follow them, the Shinshein flew into the air and belched fire down on them. The boys skidded down the hill far too quickly and lost their "surfboards" at the bottom. Running beneath trees for protection, they both sprinted in the direction of the palace.

#~#~#

Evy, Rick, Jonathan and Lin Chao were in the courtyard when one of the guards hurriedly ran up to them and spoke. Lin Chou repeated his message.

"The Emperor is missing, and so are Alex and Jena."

"Oh, no," Evy said anxiously. "Where can they be?" Sniffing tentatively, she added, "And what's that smell?"

Jonathan looked ashamed. "Oops, sorry! Must have been that broccoli Chou Mein."

"Jonathan, please! It smells like…"

"Sulpher and brimstone," Rick completed. Looking at the cloud of smoke coming from the mountain, he asked, "Forest fire?"

Lin Chou looked worried. "I fear much worse." Summoning a couple of palanquins, they quickly went toward the fire source. As they approached it they heard voices and, going through the bushes, came upon Alex and Jin-Wu.

"Mom! Dad!" the redhead cried in obvious relief.

The sight of his servants made the Emperor feel in control again. "Lin Chou, I wish to return to the palace _immediately_."

As he walked toward the palanquin, Evy asked, "Where's Jena?"

"We thought she went back to the palace. You haven't seen her?"

There was more rustling in the bushes, and suddenly Jena herself appeared. Seeing the group, she instantly burst into tears and ran into Evy's protective embrace. She was trembling violently as she sobbed.

"Are you alright?" Rick asked.

She nodded stiffly. "Just… I need to get away from that place."

They all returned to the Emperor's palace before hearing what had happened.

"And we didn't even get a chance to _look_ for the scrolls," Alex finished the story. "Old fire-breath was on us before we knew what was happening."

"So any ideas on how to _deal_ with Mr. Dragon and its master?" Rick asked his wife.

"I may have the answer right here," she said, opening the book in her hands. "The Scepter of Hsein. It can be used to seal the Shinshein back in the spirit world. According to the palace inventory, it's stored here in the Forbidden City."

The family went to the Emperor to tell him the idea. After bowing, Evy said, "Your Highness, Alex told us what happened and we think we've found a solution."

Jin-Wu waved dismissively. "That will not be necessary."

"It won't?" Evy asked in surprise.

"There is no problem, so there is no need of a solution."

"No _problem_?" Rick demanded. "What do you call a fire-breathing dragon rampaging around the countryside under the command of someone who's after the Manacle of Osiris?"

"_I _am the Emperor. My word is the _law_."

"Even if your word is a lie?" Alex asked.

"How dare you speak to the Emperor in this way!" Jin-Wu leapt to his feet.

"How dare _you_ say nothing happened when that guy could have killed both of us!"

Evy tried to reason. "Give us the Scepter of Hsein, and we'll deal with the Shinshein ourselves."

"Are you _threatening_ to go against the Emperor's wishes? Guards!"

Five minutes later found them in a room with the door locked and manned by two guards.

"Well, it's not the _worst_ jail I've been in," Jonathan commented. "Not that I've _been_ in many jails, mind you."

A gong sounded, and the guards opened the door to allow Lin Chou entrance.

"Your Emperor is very… strong willed," Evy said to him.

"I believe the English phrase is 'spoiled brat'," the adviser commented dryly.

"Then you _know_ he's lying?" Alex asked.

"Yes. The truth is written on his face. But I am bound by my duty to obey the Emperor."

"But why wouldn't he tell the truth about the Shinshein?" Rick wanted to know.

"The Emperor seeks respect," Lin Chou explained. "If he admits the existence of the dragon, then he admits to making a mistake. For the young Emperor, that is not an option."

"Maybe you could bring the Scepter to us," Evy suggested.

"I am afraid the solution is not so easy. For the ritual to be successful it must be performed by all those present when the spirit beast was released. That means Alex, the Emperor _and _Jena. Even if his Majesty will consent, we still need to persuade your friend."

Jena, who had been sitting facing the wall and hugging her knees since the advisor's entrance, spoke quietly. "It's fine. I'll go."

"But, Jena – "

"No, Alex," she stood and turned to face him. "This isn't about me. That Shinshein is dangerous, and so is _he_."

Alex walked up to her. "I saw you looking at him. I've never seen you so scared."

"Yes, I was scared and it was for a good reason. But if we can seal the Shinshein, that's one less problem we need to worry about. _That_ is the point."

Before anyone could say anything else, they all heard a roar coming from the courtyard.

"It's coming!" the arukatasu cried as they all ran from the burst of flames that flew through the doors. Outside, servants were screaming as they ran from the beast and its master. The young Emperor came partially out of the palace, fear evident on his face as the ceiling above him crumbled under the intensity of the heat. Lin Chou pushed him out of the way of the falling rocks, but was unable to save himself and was buried.

"No!" Jin-Wu cried, calling to his friend. "Alex, help me!"

The two of them pulled the debris away as quickly as they could until they saw the old adviser shaking as he lay there. He seemed to be having trouble breathing, and his face was cut and his clothes ripped.

The Shinshein's master pointed at something, and the beast ripped a piece of the palace from the foundations before flying into the mountains carrying it.

"Why didn't it finish us off?" Evy asked as everyone tried to help Lin Chou.

"I don't know," Rick answered. "And that's what worries me."

"The Shinshein is a spirit beast," Jena said. "That means its physical power is limited. What it stole… he wants a way to remove those limits so its energy doesn't dissipate over time. He was probably using it as a guard for the temple, or keeping it there until he needed it, but now he's decided he wants it around for longer."

"How can you know that?" Alex asked.

"Lin Chou said it was a spirit beast. The rest is a guess. Once the Shinshein is a permanent part of the physical world, he will come back for me – and for the Manacle." Jena walked into the palace, shivering.

A doctor treated Lin Chou as the rest of the servants worked together to put out the fires the beast had made. There were few casualties, but those that were hurt had been badly burned.

Alex walked up to Jin-Wu, beside the advisor's bed, and asked, "How is he?"

"A few broken bones, some cuts. The doctors say he was quite lucky." The boy looked down. "This was all my fault."

"We all make mistakes. Even the Emperor. It's not too late to set things right."

Lin Chou moaned and opened his eyes.

"Master, I have let you down," Jin-Wu said. "I have lost the respect of the people."

"Then win it back," the advisor replied weakly. "Defeat the dragon."

The two boys exchanged glances and made to leave.

"Alex," Lin Chou said, stopping them. "'The power lies within' is not just an incantation. It is a reminder that the human spirit is the key which unlocks many mysteries."

Outside, helping with the injured, Rick overturned a dragon scale and hailed his wife. "Evy, look. This scale protected the flower beneath it from the fire. Maybe it can do the same for us."

She nodded. "Let's see if there are enough for each of us."

#~#~#

It was dawn by the time the six of them reached the shrine of the Han Dynasty. Jonathan was complaining that his suit was getting dirty, but as they came over the cliff he said, "Either we missed the Easter Egg hunt or – "

His sister interrupted. "Those are Shinshein eggs. If they hatch we'll have flying lizards all over the countryside."

Rick got his binoculars and checked the landscape. "No sign of Mommy dragon. Maybe she's not the maternal type."

Jena spoke.

"Baby dragons raise themselves since they hatch," she explained. "If they can't survive on their own, their lives aren't worth keeping. It makes them really, _really_ vicious."

"Peachy," Jonathan said.

"There, in the center," Jin-Wu pointed at a canister the midst of the eggs. "That is where the scrolls would have been kept."

"Why don't you go ahead without me?" Jonathan said. "I have a massage at two and then – "

Evy interrupted again. "You four work your way around the edge of the nest to perform the ritual. Jonathan and I will look for the scrolls."

"Funny how I can volunteer without even opening my mouth."

The Emperor read from the history book he had brought. "According to the ancient ritual, the three of us must hold the scepter above our heads and say, 'dragon be gone from whence you came' three times."

The siblings stepped cautiously around the large dragon eggs.

"Just imagine," Evy said excitedly. "We could be moments away from finding the Scrolls of Thebes."

"Or moments away from being walking charcoal," Jonathan added.

Lifting the only barrel from in the canister, she opened it and peered into the small hole.

"What's in there? The Scrolls?"

"Not exactly…"

"Then what, exactly?"

Turning the barrel upside down, a thick greenish liquid flowed to the ground. The age it had been there made the smell quite putrid. "Olive oil. It would have been considered quite a treasure in Marco Polo's time."

He wasn't pleased. "No Scrolls? I was nearly baby dragon food for an 800-year old _salad dressing?_"

"Jonathan, shh! Keep your voice down or you'll wake the babies!"

Too late; a couple of the eggs began to crack.

On top of the rubble where the Shinshein had first appeared, the three children were standing with the scepter.

"Ready?" Jin-Wu asked. All three placed their hands on the rod.

"Dragon be gone from whence you came. Dragon be gone from whence you came. Dragon be – "

"_Stop them!_" the voice of the Shinshein master rang through the morning air.

The beast swept down out of nowhere, making them all fall apart and drop the scepter. It roared loudly, and more of the eggs cracked and baby dragons hatched, closing in on Jonathan and Evy.

"Is it just me, or do they look hungry?" Jonathan asked nervously.

Rick knelt on the ground and protected himself from the beast's fiery breath with dragon scale. "Get the Scepter. Complete the ritual," he ordered.

"Okay, this is it." Alex took a deep breath and pointed his wrist in the direction the scepter had fallen. Saying the incantation, he willed the Scepter to move with all his strength.

The Manacle glowed. The rod shuddered, and then flew into his waiting hand.

"Wow," he said, staring at it. "I just focused… and it…"

"Maybe there is something to that Tai Chi after all," Jin-Wu approved.

"Enough talking; let's do this!" Jena said, running over to the rocks again. They all grasped the Scepter and finished the incantation.

"Dragon be gone from whence you came!"

The beast's controller ground his teeth, and his eyes were wide with ire. He looked utterly livid.

A mighty gale flew from the table in the center, and the baby dragons attacking Evy and Jonathan were sucked in. The Shinshein resisted, and in attempt to break free it swiped at the boys. Jena pushed them out of the way, and its claw closed around her waist as it pulled her into the vortex with it.

"Jena!" Alex called anxiously.

"Jena…" a look of fear entered the Shinshein master's eyes, and the diagonal black marks vanished from them.

"Come on, Manacle," the redhead pleaded. "One more time." He picked up a small statue and hurled it at the beast. It crumbled against its flank, but the Shinshein did not release its prisoner.

"Come on, that had to hurt!"

Suddenly it screamed in pain, and its severed arm flew into the vortex. In its agony, it stopped resisting and was completely sucked in, vanishing once again.

Silence.

"What just happened?"

The beast's master dropped to the ground, Jena trembling in his arms. She was clinging to him tightly, her eyes shut, and didn't let go when he stood there – even though the danger had passed.

"Jena!" Alex called and ran towards her.

Her savior set her on her feet, but still she wouldn't let go of him. "It's alright," he said softly. "You're safe now."

He straightened his back and turned away as she eventually released him. The group heard him cringe, and he spun around again. Cruelty had entered his expression again. "There will be pain."

Before she could blink, he was holding her captive and his fingers reached out to touch her forehead. At first she shut her eyes, then they snapped wide open and she screamed louder than anyone present had ever heard anyone scream. It seemed to last forever until a burst of flames threw everyone off balance, and the Shinshein controller was forced backwards against the wall of the shrine.

Yue was standing in front of his daughter protectively. When he turned to her she stopped screaming and fell into unconsciousness. He caught her and set her on the ground gently before turning back to her attacker.

"So," he said, his words dripping with hatred and rage. "You're alive after all."

"Captain Alister," the man greeted as if an old friend. He looked pleased. "It's been a while, hasn't it? I suppose you used the Whirl of Time. I found it after a few hundred years, but with nothing to go on it was useless to me. Though I must give you credit for your use of my own Cloud seal to hide its presence."

"What did you do to her?"

"Nothing she won't welcome. When she wakes up she'll remember everything. I know my loyalty has been debatable, but I haven't changed since you first knew me."

Yue spat a foreign word that didn't sound like a compliment.

"My, my," the beast's master laughed. "It looks like you have the aid of quite a few agents of power. But… I don't think you've passed _all _the tests just yet?"

In response, Yue sent a scorching inferno towards him. The fire cleared, and he was gone.

"We'll meet again," came his voice, echoing from nowhere. "Make sure she knows that."

Yue turned and picked up his daughter, spreading his wings.

"Wait!" Alex called after him. "Will she be alright?"

Without answering, the arukatasu flew away.

The five remaining gathered together.

"Yue will know what to do, Alex," Evy said comfortingly. "He knows everything."

"I know," he said. Cheering up, he turned and spoke excitedly. "But did you see? I _meant_ to do that! I can control the Manacle!"

Suddenly the said bracelet glowed, and the barrel of olive oil flew towards them. Everyone ducked, and it crashed against the wall, soaking them all in oil.

"Of course I might need a _little _more practice, but that's a minor detail – right?"

#~#~#

Jin-Wu supported Lin Chou as they walked out to say farewell to their guests.

"I am sorry your trip here was for nothing," the Emperor said.

"I wouldn't say that," Alex replied. "Master Chou says, 'when learning to ride a bicycle, the knowledge gained falling off is as important as being able to stay on'."

Jin-Wu grinned, and helped his master back inside. "If you will excuse me, the Emperor has much to learn."

As the doors to the Forbidden City closed, Jonathan gave a gasp that sounded suspiciously like a sob.

"Jonathan," Evy said in surprise. "It's not like you to be so sentimental."

"Not like you at all," Rick added.

"I can't help it. I have feelings, too." His sister and nephew patted his back in comfort. "That was the _best_ vacation I ever had! They waited on me hand and foot! I miss them already!"

"There, there. You still have us."

"So… _you'll_ massage my feet with exotic oils?"

"You're on your own for that one, pal."

As they walked back to the Zephyr, Alex said, "Hey, Mom. Do you think we'll ever see Jena again? I mean, her reason for traveling was to remember."

"I'm sure we will," Evy replied. "She had a strong interest in the Manacle. I don't think she'll leave _that _behind."


	10. Hop, Step, Jump

Yeah, I also cut the episode called Howl, as Jena wasn't in it. This is one of my own.

**Hop Step Jump**

A thousand leagues under the sea

It was warm. Soft and comfortable. And it was… safe. Jena opened her eyes to see she was lying on her parents' bed. Fresh sheets that smelled like flowers were cocooning her into what seemed like a white haven. Her mother was sitting on a chair, her head resting on the arm as she dozed lightly.

"Mama?"

Chione instantly opened her eyes and, seeing her child awake, threw her arms around the girl.

"Jena! I was so worried about you. How do you feel?"

"A little disorientated."

"Your father brought you home three days ago. You've been sleeping ever since."

Jena got off the bed and – a little unsteadily – walked to the bedroom window and looked out at the view of water. Surrounding the house was a forcefield that formed a protective bubble, preventing the ocean from consuming them. The miles of water was a perfect hiding place, and it was the only place her father had felt safe in the last two years.

"I remember," she said, staring at the sapphire water.

"How much?" her mother asked a little warily.

"I was born in Egypt," she began, explaining everything to test her reclaimed memories. "I guess it'd be about 1,000BC. Lord Osiris was pharaoh, and Papa was the captain of the palace guard."

She paused. "I think I was seven when Laith was chosen for combat training in China. Papa said it was because he was talented and it'd be good for his future career when he was a palace guard. You didn't want him to go by himself because he was only three, but you couldn't leave Mari and me with Aunt Elvina for so long, and Papa couldn't leave the palace. Mari couldn't go because she was too young, so I went. We stayed at a temple ruled by Grand Master Dashi, and the top student was…"

She trailed off, her voice less than a breath. Chione walked over to her daughter and wrapped her arms around her, holding her securely.

Jena swallowed and said the name. "Chase Young," she whispered.

She couldn't say aloud what had happened back then. She had loved Chase; he was friendly, mischievous and brash, and he had taken Laith under his wing. Although it was forbidden for girls and women to learn martial arts, he had secretly trained her, and they formed a strong friendship. A few years passed, and an incident that involved the temple burning down resulted in her and Laith returning home. Chase accompanied her home, so the group left the next week.

She took a deep breath and continued speaking. "I was nearly ten when I came home. Someone had overthrown Lord Osiris and taken control of Egypt while I was away. I only remember him being called The Destroyer. Chase had met him once. He wanted him to be his apprentice, but Chase refused. When Papa told him what had happened, Chase said he'd come back with people to help take the country back. No one knew how to fight The Destroyer except a few people from the temple, so Chase went to get them. He came back with two monks, and then they went with Papa to get Lord Osiris out of his prison. But," she paused again, biting her lip. "Chase didn't come back with them. He stayed in the palace with The Destroyer."

She stopped. Chase had decided to become The Destroyer's Apprentice in order to learn more about him and eventually kill him. She had been so angry. The Destroyer's motive for taking over Egypt was to gain Chase as his apprentice, and he knew how the reckless teen would react. She hated that someone would put so many people through the suffering they had endured just for one man.

"I gave the Manacle to Lord Osiris because it was gold," she continued, leaving out how she had come into possession of such a relic. "And he made us all _arukatasshu_. We were going to escape until we could use our power, and Papa knew a safe place. But when we went through Memphis we met Chase again." She swallowed with difficulty. "It was the first time we saw him since he became The Destroyer's Apprentice. He'd changed."

Chione finished the recap for her. "He said he only wanted you. Lord Pharaoh told the rest of us to go on, and he remained with you. Chase killed him."

Jena shut her eyes, flashes of what had happened haunting her.

"Umar went back for you when Mari, Laith and I were in safety. Chase caused your injury, but Umar somehow managed to rescue you and escape. We made it through the Whirl of Time, but you forgot everything." She paused. "We didn't want to remind you."

After a long moment of silence, Jena spoke.

"The other day… I saw him, you know," she continued.

"I know," her mother replied. "Your father told me about your meeting. I'm surprised he's still alive."

Jena shook her head. "He looked the same way he did when he was nineteen. I don't think he ages anymore."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No. He saved me from a dragon."

"He did?" Chione questioned, surprised. "He didn't change so much, after all."

Jena frowned at the water. "Three thousand years is a long time to get used to it."

There was a pause, then she turned around. "Where's Papa?"

"Outside. He was going looking for Chase, but I think he's been waiting for you to wake up."

"I need to see him."

Chione nodded, standing and leading her eldest child into the hallway towards the front door. As they walked, two eight year olds came bounding over to her.

"Big Sis!" Laith, the baby of the family, launched into her arms. She was the one he was closest to, having spent more time with her than with anyone else. His hair was the same color as Yue's, although it was cut short and was usually messy. Unlike his parents, he had abandoned his Egyptian clothing and wore shorts and a t-shirt.

"Laith? Shouldn't you be training in Egypt?"

"Not with my big sister getting attacked, I don't think so!" he shook his head.

"Mari," Jena embraced her younger sister tightly. "I've missed you."

Mariasha was stiff and only greeted her after first being spoken to. "It's good to see you again," she replied in a voice that sounded slightly cold. She was the only one of them with black hair, which was a startling difference against her pale skin, and kept it in two buns on the top of her head with thick tails falling to her waist. She usually liked to wear Egyptian boy's clothing, as she refused to conform to the new styles but wanted to be practical as well.

"Yeah, we're glad you're okay," her twin made up for her lack of enthusiasm. "You're okay, right?"

"I'm fine." She touched her left shoulder tenderly. Laith noticed.

"Do… do you _remember_?" he asked hesitantly.

She nodded.

"Oh."

Mari seemed slightly more agreeable after learning that.

"I'll see you guys later, okay? I have to talk to Papa."

"Sure, Big Sis. See you later!" Taking his twin sister's hand, Laith ran up the hallway again, waving. Mari shook herself free.

"It's such a shame, they're only just getting to know each other on the few times Laith is home," Chione said quietly. "He rarely comes back from Ardeth Bay's camp."

Jena nodded. "They're twins; they should be together more."

They exited the front door and stood in front of the bubble.

"Are you ready?" her mother asked.

She gritted her teeth. "I'm ready."

Chione spread her wings, and, taking Jena into her arms, folded them around her child. She crouched low before leaping powerfully into the water. They passed through the bubble with no resistance, only a tingling sensation, and travelled upwards at remarkable speed. A shield around them prevented the pressure from affecting them, and in a few minutes they broke out of the surface and were flying through the air. It wasn't long before they had landed in a garden where Yue was standing against a tree with his eyes closed. It was this garden that their family had trained their powers in.

Jena slipped out of her mother's arms and approached her father. Chione quietly turned and flew away.

"Papa?"

A circle around him glowed brightly with a bluish silver radiance, and she stopped abruptly. What seemed like portals appeared along the circle's outline – twenty of them – and glowing cards emerged out of these portals. Each card floated amicably towards Yue, and when he held out his hand they each piled into it.

"It's time, then," he said, seemingly to himself, before turning to face his daughter. "You remember?"

She nodded. "Everything."

"Then you must learn to control your power. The last thing we need is another incident like at the river."

She remembered what he meant; the time when she had just begun traveling with the O'Connells and made an entire river disappear in rage.

"So you'll help me?"

Yue nodded. "This time, I can."

Jena grinned widely. "Alright; what do I need to know?"

"This is the source of our power; agents who reside in the cards," he held out the twenty cards in his hand. "To control them you must do two things. First, create a portal to summon the card. Second, you must pass a test issued by each of them to have free use of their abilities."

She nodded. "Sounds simple enough. How do I create the portals?"

"Each portal is different. And," he paused, frowning slightly. "It is… difficult to explain."

"You have to give me _something_," she complained.

"When you lose control of yourself, a portal is formed inside your body and the power is forcibly drained from each agent. Your body doesn't know how to contain it and it is immediately released without instruction. To learn control, you must create the portal _outside _of your body, and pass the test before you can use an internal summoning."

"So I've opened these portals before," she confirmed.

"Some of them." The cards in his hands floated in front of him, facing Jena to show the images on their faces. Most of them contained a person, but some an animal. "These are the abilities you possess. Change, Create, Dark, Dash, Earth, Fire, Fly, Illusion, Jump, Libra, Light, Move, Nothing, Power, Shield, Storm, Through, Time, Water, and Wind."

"Wow," Jena's jaw dropped. "That's a lot of good abilities."

"They decide what order you take the tests, but I assume you will begin with Jump. We all did, and it's one of the most useful to have for passing the other tests."

His Jump floated lazily forward in its card, and she looked at the creature's image. It resembled a silver bunny, with long feet and ears that were possibly a meter in length. She reached her hand forward to feel its energy.

"Don't touch it," her father warned, taking a step towards her.

"I know," she replied. It was a taboo that she had instantly picked up on; arukatasshu did not handle the aids of others. She just wanted to know what the energy felt like.

"I'm not even sure how to begin to describe establishing a portal," Yue began before breaking off and staring at his daughter in shock. Facing away from him, she had raised her arm and formed a portal almost immediately. A card flew out and into her waiting hand.

Jena turned back to him, holding up her own Jump card with a grin. "You're right; that's hard to describe," she agreed. "It's more like a feeling than anything else."

He gaped at her in amazement, unable to believe she could create a portal just from feeling his energy. It had taken him almost a full week to first establish one, and his other children a month.

His cards all glowed their icy color, sending him a message, and vanished into their own portals.

"I have to leave you now," Yue said, slightly disappointed. He wanted to see how she progressed. "Your cards will tell you the rest."

"Papa!" she complained.

"I'm sorry. I have to do as they say. I haven't passed all their tests, you see. They obey me only sometimes, as determined by our contracts," he explained. "If I don't fulfill their wishes, they won't fulfill mine."

Jena sighed.

"I know," he concurred. "But that's the way it is."

Yue turned to leave, his wings spreading as he walked into a clear stretch.

"I'll find him, you know," his daughter's voice stopped him. "Chase."

His face darkened. "It's too dangerous for you."

"When I've passed all the tests and I can control all my powers. I'll find him." She made her point. "So don't go after him by yourself. It's _me _he wants."

"Have you any idea why?"

She shrugged. "We were friends, at the temple. I don't know what he or The Destroyer wants with me, but I'll find out when I catch up with them."

"Hmph." Yue frowned again before flying away.

Jena looked at the card in her hand, and it glowed a silvery blue color. A soft pink form rose out of it – the same rabbit-like creature she had seen on her father's card. This was _her _Jump.

Jump's nose twitched, like a real bunny's would have. It didn't speak, but she could hear its intentions and feelings inside her mind.

_Do you remember the names of the Others? You should summon them all, if you can_.

She nodded her understanding and thought back to the names her father had given her.

"Change," she said aloud, attempting to form a portal in front of her. It was slightly more difficult, but it established without any problem. "Create. Dark, Dash, Earth, Fire, Fly, Illusion, Libra, Light, Move, Nothing, Power, Shield, Storm, Through, Time, Water, and Wind."

Each portal formed, and a card rose out of each of them. All the cards released a surge of energy that she understood as communication. Each agent had its own voice, speaking words of encouragement for their upcoming tests.

Two cards hovered closer to her than the rest, which she instinctively identified as Nothing and Create, as the two physical forms materialized from their "homes". Nothing's form was that of a little girl, about her age or younger, with long curly hair and a shapeless baby blue ankle-length dress. Small wings sprouted out of her head, poking out from her thick hair. An empty look was in her blue eyes. Create was a teenage girl, dressed in tight fitting red clothes, with straight hair that reached her knees. A yellow ornament adorned her forehead, and jagged yellow material surrounded her shoulders and wrists.

"We are two of the four Agent Masters," Nothing said in a stoic voice. "You may use any method to succeed in all the tests, and you may use the abilities of agents you have previously allied with to pass."

Create was her opposite. Her voice was warm, and her expression encouraging. "Once you have passed, we are at your disposal for whatever you wish. If you are able to pass our tests, we will serve you devotedly."

"I understand," Jena replied.

"There's something else you must know," Nothing continued. "None of your family members have been able to establish all twenty portals, so none of them have been told."

"That is," Create took over. "We – all your agents – won't be with you forever. In a few years' time our connection to you will fade and eventually sever."

Before Jena could panic at what that meant, the other Master told her. "When the link is severed, you will receive the gifts you have earned. All the tests you have passed, their agents will permanently grant you their abilities."

Nothing's form evaporated back into her card, and she hovered beside her sister.

Create smiled at Jena again. "It will be several years before you must tell us goodbye," she said. "Until then, use our knowledge when you have passed the tests. I know you'll pass them all."

She returned to her card as well, and Jena created a portal for each agent except Jump to return in to. Their words of encouragement had felt good, and she felt a lot more energetic than when she had woken.

"So," she said, sitting cross-legged on the grass and propping her head onto her two fists. "What's your test, Jump?"

_Catch me_, came Jump's intentions.

"Just catch you? Using any method I want?"

_That's right_.

"Alright," she grinned. "I like simple instructions."

She suddenly propelled herself into a pounce, leaping forward to capture the bunny. Jump leapt out of her grasp, landing in a nearby tree.

"You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?" Jena asked it, lying sprawled on the grass with her hands in front of her.

_If I didn't there wouldn't be any purpose of a test_.

"Guess not."

And so the chase began, lasting until the sun was setting and Yue reappeared.

"You should come home for the night," he said when he saw her sitting in a cool stream, panting heavily. Jump was apparently resting at the side of the stream, almost taunting her.

"Is that okay?" Jena asked her agent.

_Of course. I wouldn't expect you to pass so easily_.

Jump returned to its card form, and the card vanished into a portal from above.

Jena sighed heavily and flopped backwards, splashing the cold water all around.

"A full day is easily? How long did it take you to pass, Papa?"

"Several weeks," Yue replied.

"Seriously?" she exclaimed. "This is going to take _forever!_"

After a week of chasing Jump for eight hours every day, Jena decided to take a day off. She hadn't spent time with her family in months, since she first began traveling to regain her memories, and she particularly missed her brother.

In their house, Laith and Mari were both in the basement, which was used for combat practice and other physical activities. To make up for not training in China, Yue had taught Mari some combat back in Egypt. Although without Laith's raw talent she was nowhere near his level.

"Hey, Da Jie," Laith greeted her when she entered. Having spent his early years in China, he had grown accustomed to addressing her as "Da Jie", or "older sister", and switched languages depending on his mood.

Mari stopped beating the wooden stand long enough to look in her sister's direction, but she didn't say anything.

"Hey," Jena replied. "I was wondering if I could hang out with you two today."

"Not trying to catch Jump?" Mari asked.

"No, I need a day off. And I haven't seen you guys in ages."

Laith knew where she was going with this, and didn't like it. "And you want a sparring match?"

She smiled. "I'll take you both on at once."

Mari whacked the dummy one more time before turning to her siblings. "You are _on_," she said without smiling.

"Ah – shouldn't we go outside for this?" Laith asked, nervously catching the lethal glint in his twin's eyes.

She shrugged. "Whatever."

The three of them went out of the house to the garden and began their sparring match. Jena loved fighting with them – although she probably enjoyed winning a little too much. Mari wasn't particularly talented in combat, but she had focused on her father's instruction and was quite good. Jena figured the reason she was able to beat Laith was because he was only eight. Chase had been an excellent teacher to her, but she had other cleaning duties while staying at the temple and no time to practice – unlike her brother, who could do nothing else. In five years time, she suspected Laith and his raw talent would easily beat her.

They brought their fight down to a riverbed when the earth suddenly shook violently. Mari crouched to the ground instantly to avoid looking her balance, but the other two didn't need to.

Jena turned to look at the mountain beside the garden. Black smoke was floating out from the top.

"Is this a volcano?" she asked her siblings.

"Dunno," Laith replied, looking to his twin. With his Medjai training, he hadn't been here much more than Jena.

"This happened once before," Mari said. "The ground shook and smoke came out of the mountain vent. Then it stopped, the ground stabilized, and I kept trying to catch Dash."

Jena was not okay with that being the most she ever remembered her sister saying at once. "Can either of you use Shield?" she asked.

"I have a contract with Shield," Laith said. "It's not very strong, though."

"I'm telling you, we won't need it," Mari added snappishly. At that instant fiery rocks burst out of the mountain's point.

"Famous last words," her sister commented dryly.

Laith was frozen in place, wide-eyed.

"Come on, Lai, active your Shield!"

When he still didn't move, his twin sprang over to him and punched his arm hard.

"Ow!"

"Shield! Now!" Mari yelled at him.

"Uh… right," Laith hesitantly, creating a portal and catching the card that rose out of it. "Under our contract you have to shield us. Defend!"

The barrier rose around the trio, and Jena couldn't help but think that her little brother hadn't changed at all.

The earth shook again, the Richter value increasing by the second. As Laith and Jena crouched to the ground she let out a worried, "Uh-oh."

"What?" her brother asked, anxiety evident.

"Can't you guys feel that presence?"

"Yeah," Mari replied, staring at the mountain. "I think we should get out of here."

"What is it?" Laith demanded fearfully, then he stopped when he felt it. "Oh. We should leave."

"Too late."

An enormous dragon burst out of the mountaintop, flames belching out its mouth. It was mainly grey, with some black scales, and Jena figured its wingspan was at least 200 feet. Generally, adult dragons' wingspans were also their length from nose to tail, and this was no exception. It roared in anger when it saw them and its great wings flapped as it began flying directly towards them.

Laith tugged on Jena's shirt sleeve. "Big Sis… my Shield isn't going to hold," he whispered.

She was worried as well. "Okay, new plan. The two of you fly up and – "

"I haven't taken Fly's test," he interrupted.

She snapped her head round to look at her brother. "What?"

"I can't fly!"

Mari quickly opened a portal in front of her, pulling out some burning flames and throwing them up to the sky. The beast caught sight of them and altered its path to chase them.

"You can use Fire?" Jena asked in shock. On the brief moment when the four elements had been talking to her, she felt their power was much stronger than the others – although not as much as the Agent Masters. She didn't particularly want to speculate on what their tests would be.

"And Water," Mari replied, a little smugly.

They watched the beast's confusion as the fire evaporated into nothing, and it began circling the fields they occupied. It would be almost impossible for them to leave without it noticing.

"We need to find a way to distract it," Jena said quietly, as if it could hear from a mile above.

"We should probably tell you what tests we've passed," Laith began.

The oldest sibling pointed at him, saying, "Jump, Move, Power and Storm," before pointed at her sister and listing, "Water, Fire, Fly, Jump, Move, Power and Through." When she actually concentrated, she could tell the difference between the present and absent agents belonging to each of them.

The twins exchanged an amazed glance.

"Okay, so Laith causes a storm," Mari formulated.

"Storms don't bother dragons – especially ones _that _size," Laith shook his head. There had been a baby dragon at the Chinese temple where he had studied, and he and Jena knew quite a bit about the species. Chase had loved them, and because of this the three of them spent a lot of time in the stables with Huõ.

"You two both have Power – just how strong does that make you?"

"Not strong enough to take on that thing!"

Mari shrugged. "I bet we _could_."

"Alright, Mari, how much water can you create?"

"How much do you need?"

"Enough to completely surround it."

The girl paled, if possible. Jena noticed.

"Do you think Papa's nearby?" she asked.

"We'd be better off if Mama came," Laith said. "She's passed more tests than any of us."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she's passed 10 tests, with no contracts."

"What contracts do you two have?"

"Just Shield."

"None," Mari replied, again a little smug. "Have you passed a test yet?"

"No – it's only been a week!"

The younger girl stared at the dragon as its shadow passed over them. "I've got an idea," she said. "I'll fly up and distract it while you two go to the coast. Wait for me there to take you back to the house."

Jena gritted her teeth. She would have preferred to be the bait, but that was obviously impossible. "What if you can't shake it off?"

"I'll blast it with some flames."

Laith shook his head. "You won't be able to create enough. Not for something that _big_."

"Well what do you want to do? Wait here to become its next meal?" his sister snapped.

"Take me up when you go. I might be able to create a storm close enough to shoot some lightning into its mouth. It's sensitive there, and they're not as strong against lightning as fire."

Mari refused. "No way; you're not coming. Who's going to keep a shield around Jena if we're taking care of the dragon?"

Jena's frown deepened, and she clenched her fists tightly. She didn't like that her younger siblings were talking of protecting her while they took care of the danger. She didn't like being useless.

"I'll leave my Shield behind!"

"The Shield won't move with her – so distracting the dragon would be useless!"

"Wait," Jena said, thinking heavily. "What if you use Move to shift a rock, and cause a distraction that way?"

The twins exchanged a glance. "I- it's possible," Laith stammered. "But there's no way either of us could lift a rock big enough for it to see."

"You both have Power as well. Can you combine the two to lift heavier things?"

"Even so…"

"Which rock?" Mari asked, a cold look on her face.

"One close to the mountain, far away from us."

The younger girl sent two portals that direction, straining herself to try and lift a boulder higher up. If she raised it high enough and let it fall, it could create a mini-landslide.

She released it after a moment, panting heavily. "No good," she sighed. "It's too heavy and too far away. If I was nearer…"

"You both have Move and Power – can't you work together to lift it?" Jena asked.

Laith and Mari exchanged another look.

"Don't need to," Mari scowled before turning back towards the mountain. She picked a smaller rock that was nearer, putting all of her strength into Move. It slowly raised a couple of feet in the air before she released it suddenly.

They could hear a crash, and saw several rocks shifting near the base of the mountain. The beast in the sky snapped its head in that direction, flying closer to investigate.

"Now, let's run!" Jena said in a whisper-yell, and the three of them sprinted towards the ocean. She kept looking behind her, fearing the dragon would hear their movements and follow, but they seemed to be in the clear.

Several minutes passed, and they reached the water. Mari spread her wings.

"Grab on to me," she ordered her siblings. They did as she said, and she flew them back into the house.

Jena sighed in relief when they were in safety, realizing she was shaking. "That was some adventure, huh?" she asked, trying to laugh it off.

Laith wasn't even trying. "I can deal with less adventure," he replied, violently shivered. "Mama? Where are you?"

Chione appeared at his call. "What's the matter?"

He ran into her arms.

"You're shaking – what happened to you three?"

Yue also appeared, and Mari ran to him. "Papa, there was a _dragon_ in the field where we practice in," she said.

"What? Where did it come from? Did you sense anyone nearby?" he fired questions at them.

"It was sleeping in the mountain," Jena explained. "There was no one around – why would there be?"

He didn't reply, and suddenly she remembered.

"Oh… Chase hunts dragons," she said. "For food."

Yue spread his wings. "I'm going to make sure he isn't nearby," he announced, vanishing through the walls as if they weren't there.

Laith was scared. "Mama, what if he's back? Will he find us?" he asked, still in his mother's arms.

"He won't find us," Chione assured the three of them. "Your father will wear an illusion when he goes to check, so no one will even see him. But just because a dragon appeared doesn't mean that Chase Young is hunting it."

Chione took her children and sat with them in the twins' bedroom, wrapping a warm blanket around the two smaller ones. She sang them a lullaby, her voice like a hummingbird's, but Jena sat beside the window and looked out of it absently.

She wanted Chase to be close, but if he was she wasn't sure what she would do. She couldn't possibly fight him off if he attacked her, nor could she pursue him if he ran. She had been lucky the first time he tried to kill her. He may not have harmed her the second time, but that didn't mean he wouldn't do anything during a third meeting. And she knew there _would _be a third meeting. Now that he knew, after three thousand years, that she was alive, he would scour the world to find her. He had been that serious about ending her life, back in Egypt. And after their recent meeting, The Destroyer would know she was still alive. She had never met him, but sincerely hoped that rumors of his power were greatly exaggerated.

"Still thinking about him?" Chione asked much later.

Jena gave a tiny jump of surprise and turned towards the room again. Laith and Mari had gone, and she was alone with her mother.

"Yes," she answered the question. "I'm going to look for him, when I've passed all my tests and have the aid of all of my agents."

"Your father told me," Chione replied. "I won't try and stop you. I know it's something you may prefer to do alone, but when the time comes I'd like to accompany you. You can decide then whether or not you would like me there."

She was surprised. She hadn't considered her mother, who hadn't known Chase, might like answers as much as she did. And having spent three years in China and the last two and a half traveling the world without her family, she might enjoy spending time with only her mother.

Yue entered the room.

"Papa!" Jena sprang to her feet, and she and Chione approached him anxiously. "Did you see Chase?"

"No sign of him," her father replied. "From what I could tell, the dragon had been sleeping in the mountain these last centuries. It woke up and surfaced."

She didn't know if she was disappointed or relieved.

"Don't go back to that field," Yue cautioned both her and her mother. "We're taking our tests in a different place from now on. A dragon appeared there once; Young may still come in his hunt – and bring The Destroyer with him."

Chione nodded, accepting her husband's command, but Jena stared at a fixed spot on the ground.

"Jena?" came her father's warning voice.

She jumped and reluctantly acquiesced. "Yes, Papa. I won't go back there."

#~#~#

Leaping as far as she could, Jena secured her hands firmly around the small pink bunny before it could spring off the tree branch and out of reach. Jump still attempted escape, but she wouldn't let go and the added weight caused them both to fall with a splash into the underlying stream.

Lying in the ankle-deep water, Jena looked up in triumph. She was in another field, although it was further from her house and in a different direction than the original. There was no mountain nearby, because Yue thought there may be another dragon sleeping in its dormant magma chamber. He always was extra cautious – or paranoid – in cases such as these. It was how he managed to become captain of Pharaoh's guard when most to assume that role were decades older than him.

"I caught you!" the arukatasu cried to the bunny creature in her grasp.

Jump dipped its head slightly, and she released it and sat up. It had taken her less than a week and a half to complete her first trial – even Chione, who was much more adept at passing tests than the rest of her family – had taken nearly a month to catch Jump.

_Impressive_, came Jump's thought. _You may use my abilities at any time. There are no conditions to my service._

Jena grinned. "Let's see how high I can jump," she said. Jump's nose quivered, and she stood before launching herself into the air.

She flew towards the clouds, five feet, ten… twenty… it seemed she wouldn't stop rising before her speed eventually slowed. For a moment she thought she was hovering in mid-air, trapped in the sky, before her body plummeted towards the earth again.

_Uh-oh… _she thought in mild panic. _I forgot about this part_.

She slammed into the ground with a frightening force, shouting of pain as she heard a sharp _snap_. Jump sprang forwards in alarm.

_Keep your balance at the peak of the jump,_ it thought. _Otherwise you'll never land properly. That was a huge jump to make for the first time_.

She was in too much agony to pay any attention. She was fairly sure her arm had broken when she fell on it, not to mention the pain the rest of her body felt when it hit the ground.

_Your father is coming. I contacted his agents._

A few minutes later, Yue appeared beside her.

"Jena!"

"Landed on my arm," she squeezed out through her pain. "I think it broke."

"Shattered, more like," Yue corrected, carefully lifting her. "Anything else?"

"Everywhere hurts…"

He carried her back to the house, where her mother put a splint on her arm.

"You'll have to stay in bed for a while," she informed her daughter.

Jena sighed. "Well, it was worth it," she said.

"What was?" Chione asked. She, like Yue, supposed Jena had fallen from the height of a tree while trying to catch Jump.

"Are you kidding me? Jumping that high. It must've been close to thirty feet."

Her mother looked at her in disbelief. "Did… did you _pass _Jump's test?" she stammered.

Jena grinned a big smile. "Yup!"

Chione squeezed her gently, aware she was injured. "Well done! I can't believe you did it so _soon! _I suppose it won't be long before _you've _passed the most tests out of the five of us, and not me."

At that moment, Mari entered the room. "Mama!" she ran up to them. "I just passed Storm's test!"

"Well done, Mari!" Chione embraced her younger daughter as well. "You're doing so well with all the tests. How many do you have now?"

"Eight," she answered a little smugly.

"Wow, that's so good!" Jena congratulated her sister.

"Jena has just passed Jump's test. Isn't that amazing?"

Like a passing breeze, Mari's expression turned back to ice as she looked at the older girl. "That was really fast. Well done," was all she said before turning and going to find her brother.

As she left, Chione gave a tiny sigh that Jena couldn't interpret. Then her mother smiled again as she turned back to her.

"You know, Mama," Jena said after a while. "I should really go see the O'Connells and let them know I'm okay."

Chione nodded. "I'm sure they're all worried about you," she replied. "Will you travel with them again?"

The injured girl shook her head. "I don't think so. I want to concentrate on my tests – at least for the moment. But… I might visit for a couple of days. They're trying to remove the Manacle of Osiris from Alex' wrist, and I can do that if they don't find the Scrolls of Thebes."

"That's right," her mother said. "Do you know what you want to do about the Manacle?"

"Not really. Sometimes I want it back, but…" she trailed off. The golden bracelet reminded her of Chase, and her most vivid memories of him were not pleasant. "In any case, Alex is learning how to use it. Maybe I'll let him keep it – for now."

Her mother smiled again mixing some powder into a glass of water. "Drink this. You'll heal quickly, but this will send you to sleep for the worse of it."

She obediently downed the glass, and felt groggy within seconds. Laying back in her pillow, one thought was running through her mind.

_I'll find Chase someday… and I'll help him kill The Destroyer. Then we can be friends again._

She drifted off to sleep smiling.

_Definitely_…


	11. The Puzzle

Simon amuses me ^_^

**The Puzzle**

London, England

"And from out of the desert, two heroes swing into action!" Alex cried. He was in the Zephyr's superstructure with his next door neighbor, and the two of them were swinging from beam to beam on ropes tied to the highest point.

Simon landed on the metal beam beside him. He was quite short and had dark hair and big, round glasses. "If you were around more, we could hang out all the time," he said.

"I know," Alex replied, fixing his sleeve. He usually had them rolled up, but was using them to cover up the Manacle while he played with Simon. "It's kinda hard being on the go all the time."

"At least your parents take you around the world. The only place I went to last year was the shoelace convention in Liverpool."

The redhead laughed, drawing his wooden sword. Simon drew his as well, and the pair began a swordfight.

"What's that?" the younger boy asked suddenly.

Alex' sleeve had dropped slightly, and a little gold was showing. "Oh – nothing," he tried to blow it off. "Just something I found on one of my mom's digs."

"It looks _magical_," Simon said, lowering his wooden sword and taking a closer look.

He laughed again. "Magical? You read way too many comic books, Simon. Come on," he swiftly moved past the subject, taking his rope and swinging through the air again.

Rick opened the hatch on the floor of the air chamber, sticking his head up. "Alright, guys, time to hit the road. I'm done packing up," he said.

They drove back to their house, and Rick made the boys part ways.

"Okay, Simon, I'm sure you want to go home for dinner."

"Obviously you've never tasted my mum's tuna noodle casserole," the 10-year old replied.

Alex laughed again, waving goodbye to his friend. "I'll see you later, Simon," he walked inside the gate.

"And _you_ have chores to do, Sport," his father reminded him. "Starting with taking out the trash."

The redhead walked over to the garbage can. As soon as Rick was out of sight, he rolled up his sleeve.

"_And _I think I could use a little help," he grinned to himself. "After all, practice _does _make perfect."

He concentrated hard, and the Manacle glowed. Catching the trash in its aura, he lifted it and walked it down the path.

"You give chores a whole new meaning," he said, proud with himself.

Simon peered over the fence from his house. "How are you doing that?" he asked in amazement.

Alex was startled, and hid his glowing arm behind his back. "Doing what?"

The sudden jerk made the garbage cans fall over, and their contents flew everywhere. "Whoops."

"I knew it!" the English boy exclaimed. "That thing _is _magical! You've got to tell me what it is!"

The redhead stepped closer to the fence. Jena, his only friend, hadn't been around in weeks, and he was dying to share the Manacle's abilities with someone other than his parents. "Can you keep a secret?"

Simon mimicked pulling a zipper across his mouth.

Inside the house Rick greeted his wife, who was flicking through a pile of books with one hand to her head.

"I just finished unloading the last of the packs from the Zephyr," he said. "Boy, it is _good _to be home. How's the research going?"

Evy sat back in her chair and sighed. "Terrible," she replied. "I don't know what we're going to do. We've exhausted every clue I can think of."

"Well, maybe this'll cheer you up," he held up the page in his hand. "It's a telegram from Ardeth Bay. 'Found: one piece of the Puzzle of Horus. Should lead us to the scrolls. Come to Egypt at once. I will see you in Khadri. Bring Alex: we will need the Manacle of Osiris'."

Evy didn't hear anything past the first sentence. "The Puzzle of Horus!" she repeated. "Of _course _that's the answer!"

"What was the question?" Rick asked as she lifted a book from the pile on the table.

"Horus was the son of Osiris," she explained, leaving through a large diary. "He created the Puzzle to project a vision of where the Scrolls of Thebes would be. Legend says Horus then broke the Puzzle apart and had his soldiers hide the three pieces. He who has the Manacle has the ability to find the pieces."

"So if we find the pieces and put them together…"

"The Puzzle should show us the location of the scrolls! The _real_ location, without any more wild goose chases!" Her eyes were gleaming.

Rick sighed. "Something tells me I shouldn't have unpacked."

In the garden, Alex was telling Simon about all the adventures.

"A _real _mummy?" Simon echoed. "But in the movies they're so slow and stupid."

"Trust me; this one's fast and smart."

"Simon, what are you still doing here?" Rick asked as he exited the house.

"He was just leaving," Alex said.

"And so are we, Alex. We're going to Egypt tomorrow; something's come up."

"Will you be back soon?" Simon asked.

The redhead shrugged. "You never know."

The next morning, they were packed again.

"Looks like we're about ready," Rick said, clipping a trunk shut.

"Ready, willing, and more than able," said a familiar voice.

"Jonathan," the American said, his voice filled with dread. "What a…"

"Surprise?"

"That wasn't exactly the word I had in mind."

"So, where are we off to this time?" Jonathan asked, rubbing his hands.

"Egypt," his sister answered.

"Egypt? As in – "

"Mummy central," Rick finished. "It's not too late to back out – we'd understand. Actually, _more _than understand."

"No, I'm a man of my word. I'm going," Jonathan replied.

"Suddenly, he's a man of his word."

It was a short trip to the airfield, and an unexpected surprise was waiting for them there.

"Hey!" called a cheerful voice as they drove up to the Zephyr's dock. Jena was waving at them.

"Jena!" Alex was the first out of the car and ran to greet her. "Where've you been? We haven't heard from you in weeks! Are you okay?" he noticed the cast on one of her arms, but it wasn't in a sling.

"Of course – I'm fine," her smile didn't decrease in the slightest. "Broke my arm, is all. I got my memories back, but I just wanted to let you guys know I'm okay. Are you headed off somewhere?"

"We were just about to go look for the scrolls," Rick said, carrying some bags up to the airship. "A lead showed up in Egypt."

"Egypt," her expression faltered for a second. "Want some help looking? Now that I can use my powers…"

"You can use your powers?" Alex exclaimed. "That's so cool! So you can shoot fire, and control water and fly?"

"Well… not yet," Jena admitted. "But it's only a matter of time."

She told them all about her agents on the flight to Egypt, but wouldn't answer any questions about her recovered memories. Evy wouldn't let anyone push the matter.

They were just pulling down to the pyramids when a sudden gust of wind knocked the Zephyr off course.

"Can't you smooth out the ride?" Jonathan protested. "You're making me sick."

"Trust me," his brother-in-law replied. "The feeling's mutual."

"It's just turbulence," Evy said to her brother. The blimp shook again, and a storage closet burst open. A small boy fell out. "Simon Montgomery? What are _you _doing here?"

Simon smiled sheepishly. "Well – _you're _always traveling to some far off land. It just seemed like fun."

"Fun?" Rick echoed. "_That's _an interesting word for what we do."

"It's going to be more fun now," Jena said, walking up to Simon and facing Alex. "Who is this?" she asked.

"This is my neighbor, Simon. Simon, this is Jena. She's been traveling with us."

Simon scrambled to his feet and stared at her in awe. "And your parents let you travel all over the world, fighting mummies and dragons?"

"Actually… Mama doesn't know about any of that," Jena confessed. "Papa's pretty cool with it, though."

Evy turned to her son. "Alex, did you know about our stowaway?"

"No, Mom," Alex hurriedly denied. "I didn't tell him anything!"

Simon walked over to the window and looked out at the pyramids. "What are we going to destroy with your Manacle first? Skeleton warriors or sea serpents?"

Evy glared at the culprit.

"Okay, so I may have said something," he admitted.

"As soon as we can find a place to send a telegram, we're going to let Simon's parents know he's okay," the woman said. "Then we're sending _you _home by whatever means necessary."

"Mrs. O'Connell, I read Bram Stocker's _The Mummy _cover to cover," Simon said enthusiastically. "Don't worry, I can handle myself out there."

"Actually, Simon," Evy smiled. "I'm not at all worried about you being out there."

Her meaning was made clear when they landed. The three O'Connells, accompanied by Jena, left him in the safety of the Zephyr while they went to talk to Ardeth Bay.

"It's not fair," the boy complained. "I should be out there."

"I'll let you in on a little secret, lad," Jonathan said from his sprawled position on the couch. "Out there is grossly overrated. Besides, you are in _here _with the man responsible for leading the battle charge against the Mummy several times."

"You did?" Simon was instantly intrigued.

"Well, I hate to brag, but if I must… pull up a seat!"

While Jonathan was lying through his teeth, the O'Connells were discovering the location to the second puzzle piece.

"One piece of the Puzzle of Horus," Ardeth handed the golden fragment to Alex. As soon as it entered his close proximity, the Manacle glowed.

"The soldiers put a piece of a puzzle in a bunker," Alex said when the vision stopped. "It was right beside a big arch."

"The Arch of Sobekhotep," Jena added. Like every vision, she had seen what it had showed Alex.

"We must hurry," the Medjai warned them. "I took this piece out of the Mummy's possession; it is likely that he is on our trail."

#~#~#

"And _that _ishow I single-handedly turned Imhotep into a quivering mass of bandages," Jonathan finished much later.

Simon was sitting with his arms crossed, not enjoying the story. He looked up, glad that it had ended, and looked behind the man. "Fire!" he exclaimed.

"Actually, I relied on brute force."

"No, _fire!_" he pointed.

Jonathan turned around to see part of the blimp in flames and let out a yell.

"What do we do?" they both cried in unison. "Why are you asking _me?_"

Jonathan hurried to the door and opened it. "When _I'm _the bravest one in the room, we are in deep trouble."

No time to get the rope ladder, the two of them leaped out into the sand.

#~#~#

"It appears the architectural style has changed over a few thousand years," Ardeth commented dryly.

They were standing in front of a warehouse beside the arch, the neon lights flickering.

"The warehouse is built on top of the ruins," Evy said, disheartened.

"And getting through the concrete floor to the bunker won't be easy, that's for sure," Rick added.

"Hey, Jena, got any agent's ability that could help?" Alex asked his friend.

"What?" the arukatasu exclaimed. "Of course not – I've only passed one test so far!"

Imhotep made a sudden appearance, sending a fireball which halted any planning. Jena warned them it was coming, so they could all dodge in time, but it hit a box of firecrackers. They all exploded noisily, flying into the air.

"No notice? Can't you sense his presence?" Rick demanded the girl.

She laughed apologetically. "I forget you guys can't."

"Look!" Alex pointed to a trapdoor behind Imhotep. "Maybe it's close to the bunker."

Jena grinned, and summoned her agent's ability by creating a portal inside her own body. Jump's power was instantly absorbed without its physical form needing to appear.

Bending her knees, she flew upwards into the air and grasped the railings on a higher platform. Launching off it, she had passed the Mummy and was standing beside the trapdoor in a second.

"This," she said to herself, "Is awesome."

She hopped down into the basement.

Rick and Ardeth heaved a box of fireworks onto a forklift. Alex used the Manacle to move it forward, and the Medjai threw a lit dynamite into the open crate as it neared the Mummy and his lackey.

Simon and Jonathan entered the warehouse at that moment.

"This is even _better _than the movies!" the boy exclaimed. Fireworks shot towards them, and they fell to the ground to escape.

"And just a wee bit more realistic," Jonathan added.

"Get back!" Evy yelled as the four of them ran towards the side door. Pushing the 10-year old, she turned on her brother as they all cleared the exploding warehouse. "Jonathan, I told you to wait with him in the Zephyr!"

"Imhotep set it on fire," he protested in his defense. "It was either follow you, or be burned."

"So the Zephyr got destroyed?" she exclaimed.

"We'll figure something out," Rick said grimly. "We always do."

Simon looked around. "Where's that girl that was with you?"

At that moment, a something small shot out from the exploding warehouse, flying high into the air and landing beside them. Jena grinned at all their expressions.

"D- did you just _jump _that distance?" Simon stammered.

"Yup," she answered cheerfully. "Cool, isn't it?"

"Did you get the puzzle piece?" Rick asked.

In response she pulled the gold piece out of her pocket. Alex took it, and another vision told the two of them where the third piece was buried.

"The statues of Bahariya," Jena said when the vision had faded. "They're pretty far away from here."

"If we hurry, we can make the train," Ardeth informed them.

"Bahariya," Simon said dreamily. "How exotic."

"I'm afraid you're not getting off," Evy told him. "I'll telegraph your parents from the train. We have friends in Cairo that you can stay with until your parents arrive. No, 'if's, 'and's or 'but's, Simon," she added when he tried to protest.

On the train, Jonathan placed one hand on his head. "I need a career change," he said.

"You need to _have _a career before you can change it," Rick added.

"Details, details."

Simon was sitting next to Ardeth, continuously bugging him.

"Alex said you're a Medjai," he prattled. "Part of a secret sect. Is that like being a Secret Avenger? I read all their comic books. I even have a Secret Avenger's pen light – "

"Uh," Alex approached his friend and pulled him away. "Sorry, Ardeth. Simon's still learning the difference between a comic book and real life."

Jena was sitting by herself on a bench behind the rest. She had summoned Jump's physical form, and the bunny-like creature was curled up on her lap as she stroked it and talked to it.

"I really hate waiting," she said quietly. "And I can't afford to, either."

_There's nothing you can do about it_, Jump replied without moving. _You have no choice but to wait for another agent to issue a test_.

"But I _need _to be able to do more stuff," the girl protested. "I need to at least be able to fly, and have speed, and I need some kind of attack – "

_No matter what you say to me, I have no influence over the others_.

"There must be _something _I can do to hurry up the next test."

_Indeed_.

She sat up straighter. "What is it?"

_Try not to think about it, and the time will pass quicker_.

Jena frowned. "That doesn't change anything. I'm still not taking a test."

_The others will decide the best time to issue their tasks. It's likely they're waiting for your arm to heal_.

She looked at the cast on her arm. It had been a week since her fall, and although she healed faster than normal people, it didn't seem to be progressing.

"May I sit next to you?"

She lifted her head to see Evy. "Of course. This is Jump, one of my agents."

Evy looked around. "I don't see anyone," she said in confusion.

Jump lifted its head. _Normal people can't see agents_.

"Oh." Jena explained. "It seems they're all invisible to you."

"That's a shame." The woman sat on the bench. "Did you have a nice time at home?"

"Yes. I love traveling with you guys, but I miss my family as well. Especially my brother."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." Evy's expression clouded, and she hesitated briefly. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but regarding that man in China…"

Jena dipped her head.

"I need to know if he'll be showing up again."

There was a pause.

"I don't know; maybe," the arukatasu admitted. "I'm sure he's looking for me, now that he knows I'm alive. Don't worry, though. He has no interest in your family. I don't think he will, but if he _does _find me I'll lead him away from you."

After a moment, she added, "The High Priest is here."

Just then, the train shuddered. A few seconds later, the car door was ripped off its hinges and the smell of death flooded their senses.

"Why must he always ruin _every _trip?" Jonathan asked in exasperation.

Imhotep took a deep, deep breath.

"Everybody move," Rick ordered. Evy, Jonathan and the three children hurried to the other door. Alex had the two puzzle pieces in a box under his arm.

The Mummy sent a gale through the car as soon as he exhaled, and everyone grabbed onto something except Simon.

"Look out!" Alex shouted, tackling his friend and protecting him from being blown into the wall.

Ardeth drew one of his swords and swiped at Imhotep, who ripped a metal bar from the floor and began sparring. After a few shots, the priest threw the bar at the Medjai, throwing him over.

Rick grabbed something a ceiling rail and swung himself across the car to kick the Mummy. Imhotep grasped his ankle and threw him backwards, towards the others.

All this time, although no one could see it, Jump had been hopping from place to place to avoid getting hit. Jena was watching with fascination.

"Oh, I get it!" she exclaimed suddenly. "Jump is an evasive ability, not just convenience!"

She received a few odd looks, but she didn't notice. She hopped up a couple of feet into the air, and before she could land she quickly launched herself off the wall towards the high priest. The leap enabled her to cross the car more quickly than usual, and she had Imhotep's attention at once.

Using her newfound agility, she taunted him and hopped out of the way before he could lay a hand on her, giving everyone else a chance to escape to the next car. Unfortunately, they were moving towards the back of the train, instead of the front.

Anticipating her escape, Imhotep slammed Jena into the wall with his hand around her throat. She clutched at her neck, her windpipe being crushed, and saw Jump behind her captor. It was jumping on the spot, bending its knees more than it needed to.

Again, she understood. Jump's power was that it gave strength to her legs, not just for jumping. Curling into a ball, the girl kicked the Mummy with both her heels.

Imhotep flew backwards, crashing into the other side of the car, and Jena followed her companions to the next compartment.

Evy was at the next door, which was sealed shut. "It's a dead end," she said. "The next compartment must be a box car."

Jena caught up with them and glared at the door.

"I need the help of more _agents_," she muttered, determining to try something she had thought of a while back. She wasn't sure it would work, so she had been saving it until she really needed it.

Taking a step away from the door, she created a portal in front of her. A bright pink form stepped out of it; this was Power.

Power took the image of a little girl – about five or six years old – that seemed to be dressed like a circus performer. Her dress was the color of cotton candy, and resembled a tutu. Her pants were stuffed with air to puff them out so that each leg was about a foot wide – not much less than they were long. Her shoes were pink little slippers that curled at the end, and to top everything off she was covered in bright baubles.

Power frowned at her master, her large pink eyes narrowing. "That won't work," she replied, tossing a strand of short hair away from her face. Usually she was a carefree, fun-loving agent, but being manipulated was not something she enjoyed. "I'm not going to open the door."

"Come on, please!" Jena begged. "Issue me a test, real quick."

"_My _test is a battle of strength," the agent informed her. "Do you _really _want to take that test using only Jump as aid? You'll fail and end up with a contract, when you _need _my particular gift to pass a lot of the other tests. Contracted agents won't help during trials."

Jena had no choice but to create a portal, and Power took a step towards it. "Next time you summon an agent without passing the test, you won't even _have _a chance at the trial," she issued her final warning before disappearing.

The door to the car lid open, and Imhotep's roar of fury filled the car.

"He sounds mad," Simon said, feeling afraid for the first time. The reality of the situation had just dawned on him.

"That's not his stomach growling," Jonathan replied.

Desperate, Alex moved towards the window. "You want the Puzzle?" he said, getting a good grip on the box in his hands. "_Fetch!_"

As hard as he could, the boy hurled the metal box into the window. The glass instantly shattered, and the prized pieces fell onto the desert beside the track and were left behind.

"Alex!" Evy exclaimed in disbelief.

Imhotep roared again. Turning, he left the cabin from the way he had come in. Slamming the door closed, the Mummy sent a burst of fire onto the metal, wielding it shut, and stepped onto the next car. He smiled to himself as he heard another train shooting down the parallel track towards them. He summoned all his strength and detached the two cars, lifting the one containing the troublesome humans and throwing it across the rail of the oncoming train.

Everyone rolled across the car as it was shifted.

"There's another train coming," Jena announced. Her hearing was the best.

With both the doors welded, Ardeth quickly punched open the sky light and hoisted himself onto the roof. Rick helped the children up while the Medjai pulled them out, followed by Evy and Jonathan. Finally, the American was the last to leave.

"Hurry!" Evy rushed them as they ran off the roof. The moving train would hit them in five seconds.

No time to use the ladder, they all dived off the car and landed painfully on the hot sand – all except Alex, who had dropped something which was apparently important enough to go back for.

"Alex!" Rick shouted, taking a step back to go after him. Jena stopped him.

"I'll get him – look after everyone else!"

Before he could argue, she had leaped back onto the roof and dropped into the car after her friend. Alex was right beside her, looking startled by her sudden appearance. He had apparently retrieved what he had dropped.

Acting quickly, the arukatasu grabbed him and jumped as high as she could. The moving train smashed into the stationary car almost as soon as they were clear.

The two of them flew into the air. Higher and higher, it didn't seem like they would ever fall back to earth.

"How high can you jump, exactly?" Alex yelled over the rush of air. He was holding onto her tightly.

"Honestly," she replied worriedly. "This is higher than I've ever gone."

Finally, they peaked and began the journey down. Moving faster and faster, Jena concentrated hard. The first time she had made a huge jump, she had lost balance and broken her arm. But for the week between then and her return to the O'Connells she's been practicing staying in control, and she thought – or hoped – that she could handle this.

After what seemed an eternity, they landed on the ground. The landing shock was quite painful, but she was on her feet.

She let out a huge breath of relief. That was lucky.

"Are you two alright?" Rick asked anxiously, running up to them.

"I'm okay," Alex replied. He was shaking, but unhurt.

"Yeah, fine," Jena said, sinking to her knees. Her legs felt like jelly.

Relieved, Evy moved onto the next task. "We've got to find a way to get the Puzzle pieces back from Imhotep," she said.

"Unless he never got them in the first place," Alex grinned, removing the golden parts from his pocket proudly. "Think he'll be mad?"

Everyone was relieved.

"Bahariya is just over that bridge," Ardeth pointed in the direction they had been traveling in the train, "And the Mummy is no more than a mile or two behind us."

"Then let's get going," Evy began walking. "I'd like to have Simon in Cairo by sunset."

There really was nothing else to do other than begin the trek. Fortunately it wasn't far; it couldn't have been more than a couple of miles. Their main concern was Imhotep catching up with them.

It wasn't long before they were approaching the statues of Bahariya. They all searched in the sand, and soon Jonathan straightened his back in triumph.

"Got it!" he exclaimed. "Finder's keepers, mummy's weepers."

Alex took it, trying to connect it to the first two. "The third piece won't fit," he said, exasperated. "You're good at puzzles, Simon. Why don't you try?"

The 10-year old took the pieces of gold and fidgeted with them for a few moments, his brow furrowed in concentration. When the three segments were connected in a shape that somewhat resembled a visor, he looked up. "I think I did it," he said.

Alex took the completed Puzzle of Horus, and it glowed with a bright light. Instead of giving him a vision of the scrolls' location, the visor projected a life-size holographic image of the Eiffel Tower.

"It's Paris!" Jonathan exclaimed with delight. "Finally, a city with a little _class_."

"But… where exactly are the scrolls?" Rick wondered, a little confused.

"As we get closer to the scrolls, more shall be revealed," Ardeth said. "The Puzzle shall be our roadmap." Suddenly he pointed at the approaching sandstorm in the distance. "Unless we want company we must leave."

"Turn off the hologram – he'll see it!" Jena exclaimed, leaping towards Alex and snatching the Puzzle out of his grasp. In doing so, her hand brushed against the Manacle.

"Wow!" Alex shook his wrist as a burst of energy was released. It swarmed into the Bahariya statues of several Griffins, causing them to come to life. "I think the Manacle just gave us a way out of here!"

Jonathan looked horrified. "I'm not riding one of those things!" he refused.

"You're welcome to stay and keep Imhotep company," Ardeth responded, climbing onto one of the animals.

After reconsidering, the Englishman chose escape. "Tally-ho!"

Imhotep emerged from the whirlwind, and a dizzy Weasler fell on the ground beside him. Simon gasped at the sight of them. The Mummy was completely furious.

"Come on," Alex seized his friend's arm and dragged him to the beasts. They hopped onto the same one and flew into the air with everyone else.

"This was a little better than one of your comic books, right?" he asked as they flew higher. "And just wait 'til we get to Paris."

"Paris?" Simon exclaimed in horror. "Your mum said my parents are meeting me in Cairo. _I'm _going home. I think almost being burnt to a crisp, fighting a Mummy and jumping off the roof of a train while another one is speeding towards us," he took a breath, "Is quite enough."

"I thought it was a slow day," the redhead replied with a grin.

Jena flew her Griffin close to Rick's to speak with him. "Do you think the High Priest saw the image of that tower?" she asked.

"Don't know," the American replied. "I guess we'll find out soon enough."

The arukatasu frowned. "I really need to pass more tests, though," she said, and then she sighed. "It's too bad. I really can't do anything other than wait for them to be issued."

Suddenly a portal opened above her, and a woman in a deep green dress stepped out. Jena recognized her as Through.

Through smiled at her, landing on the head of her Griffin. Her lime colored hair was tied in a loose bun, and strands blew in the wind. "I'm glad you can accept that," the agent said. "I'll give you a test. It will be done inside of a building, and you may use the aid of Jump to help."

Through evaporated, returning to the form of a card.

Jena grinned wildly. "Yes!" she exclaimed. Then she sobered again. It wouldn't be long before the Scrolls of Thebes were found. Unlike the other times, this wasn't a false lead. And when the time came… there wouldn't be any reason to remain with the O'Connells. For that, she was sad.

She was also concerned about what would happen to the Manacle after it was removed from Alex' wrist. Would it go to the museum, as Evy had originally intended? Or would it be destroyed along with its powers?

Either way, she would deal with it when the time came. For now, she would focus on her test with Through… and helping her friends.


	12. The Maze

Season one finishes...

**The Maze**

Paris, France

On the top of the Eiffel Tower at night, Rick was looking at the city through a telescope station on one of the observation decks.

"Talk to me, Evy," he said.

His wife was moving the Puzzle of Horus in different directions, looking for some kind of reaction. "It's getting brighter," she replied when she was facing south, looking at the golden glow in her hands.

Alex was at another telescope with his uncle, and Tut kept swishing his tail across the eyepiece. "I can't believe the hunt for the scrolls might finally be over!" he said. It had certainly lasted long enough.

"It's not over until the fat lady sings," Jonathan told him, holding a block of French cheese in one hand and a baguette in the other.

Rick aimed his telescope in the direction Evy, guided by the puzzle, indicated.

Ardeth was examining a map of the city. "In that direction," he said, "The map indicates the scrolls should be in the Paris Opera House."

Jonathan looked up. "Hey, that's where fat ladies sing!" he commented. "Let's go get those scrolls."

A bell made a "ding", and the elevator doors slid open. Jena appeared, panting slightly, and she hurled herself forwards as if diving to catch something. She landed on the ground, several meters away from the elevator, with her hands clutching at air. She let out a foreign word that sounded suspiciously like a curse, followed by, "Slipped through again."

The arukatasu got to her feet.

"Didn't you say that Jump's test took you over a week?" Alex asked. "Do you really think you'll finish the next one so quickly?"

Jena shrugged. "I might," she said. "I have the help of an agent this time. The thing is… every time I get close to catching Through, she slips through the walls or the floor." She sighed. "I really need the help of Dash. That way I'd be much quicker. Jump can give me speed if I aim right, but it's not enough…"

The elevator dinged for a second time, and the doors opened to reveal a small monkey.

"Hey, little guy, what are you doing here?" Jonathan asked, speaking as if addressing a small child. "You could get hurt."

The monkey's eyes glowed red, and it grew to twice its original size.

The Englishman stepped backwards in shock. "A- anyone have a spare banana?"

The demonic animal rushed forwards, and Alex took his uncle's baguette to use as a bat to throw it away.

For a third time, the elevator doors opened. This time they revealed Weasler and his master.

"I see you've taken a shine to our little friend," the small man grinned horribly.

Imhotep stepped forwards. "I demand the Puzzle of Horus!"

"Some toys aren't meant for sharing," Rick informed him.

The monkey monster dashed forwards, and Alex used the Manacle to capture each of the telescopes placed on the deck. The instruments flew towards the monkey, hitting it aside, and the rest attacked the Mummy. Imhotep threw some aside, leaping over the rest.

He gave an incantation, and the wind blew strongly. Everyone was thrown backwards, and nobody could move under the force of its gale.

Gritting her teeth, Jena twisted herself so that her feet were beneath her. Leaping off the railings, she launched herself towards Imhotep and knocked him down. The storm ceased.

"Somebody get this monkey off my back!" Jonathan cried. The beast was clinging to him, and wouldn't let go.

Alex captured the monster in the Manacle's aura, throwing it across the observation deck. Then he let out an exclamation as his bracelet glowed of its own accord.

"What now?" Rick asked as the metal safety railings came alive on either side of them.

"It's the Manacle," his son explained. "This thing still has a mind of its own."

The railings stretched and captured the high priest, his lackey, and the demonic monkey. When the trio couldn't move, it was simple for the other six to escape through the elevator.

As the doors slid closed, Alex looked at the bracelet on his wrist. "I've got to admit, a part of me is really going to hate losing this thing," he said.

Jena looked at him intently, but she didn't say anything.

They took a taxi to the Opera House, searching the place but without finding any scrolls. Eventually, they stopped moving next to the rows of chairs closest to the stage.

"We've been all through the Opera House," Rick said in frustration. "And this is where the Puzzle glows the brightest – but there's nothing here!"

A man approached them, carrying a mop. "_Pardon_ – you should not be 'ere," he informed them, speaking in heavily accented English. "There is no program tonight."

"We're just opera fans, monsieur," Evy replied, quickly hiding the glowing relic in her hands. "Is there a basement?"

"_Non_, _madame_," the caretaker answered. "The Opera House is situated directly over the catacombs."

"Of course!" the woman said to her accomplices. "The famous Paris catacombs!"

The man turned away in frustration, continuing his job of mopping the floor. "_Des touristes_," he muttered to himself.

"They run under the entire city," Evy continued.

"A perfect place to hide the scrolls," Ardeth said gravely.

"_No one_ goes into the catacombs," the caretaker looked up again.

"Why?" Alex asked.

"Because of what is down there. _La bête de morte_."

"The beast of death?" Evy repeated in confusion.

Jonathan sighed. "Why can't we ever meet anyone pleasant on these excursions?"

"What fun would _that_ be?" Jena asked with a grin, and she sighed. "If I'd passed Through's test, I could go straight down from here and get the scrolls."

They found the entrance to the catacombs, and Rick and Ardeth pulled off the wooden beams that had boarded up the doorway so they could enter.

It was dark and damp inside, with a few squeaks coming from rats. Cobwebs draped down from the ceiling, and Rick brushed them away so his head wouldn't get caught in them.

"Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here," he commented.

"The catacombs were constructed in the 14th century," Evy told them all. "Over 400 miles of tunnels on multiple levels."

"Each one more charming than the next, no doubt," Jonathan said, his voice laced with disgust.

"What were they used for?" Jena asked, interested.

Ardeth answered. "No one knows for certain. Perhaps safe passage between city buildings."

Evy gave a gasp as she stepped on something that clattered and broke apart. When a light was shone on the object, it was revealed to be a vertical coffin with a long-dead skeleton slouched inside.

"And occasionally, mass graves," the Medjai added darkly.

"I can feel the beast's presence," Jena announced suddenly. "You know, the one that janitor mentioned."

"What can you tell about it?" Alex asked.

Her brow creased as she concentrated. "Not much," she began slowly. "I… can sense where it is right now. But apart from that, nothing."

"And what does that mean?" Jonathan demanded.

"It probably means that it doesn't have any real power," she said, and he sighed in relief until she continued. "Or it might be that it's so strong it can hide its abilities."

They continued down one of the passages.

"Not exactly the yellow brick ro-_oh_-d," Jonathan's voice slanted into a shout as he slipped on a patch of water, "Is it?"

Suddenly Jena gave an exclamation. "Through, what is it?"

Her agent had asked to for a bridge to the physical world. Once the girl had created a portal Through appeared in front of her, running forwards. The agent turned and smiled.

"This labyrinth is a perfect place to take my test," she said. "If you can catch me in here, I will be completely convinced of your worthiness to use my ability. Of course, I won't test you if you're not willing."

"What is it?" Evy asked the girl.

"Through wants to test me in the labyrinth," Jena replied. "But I'm not leaving you by yourselves when there's a monster somewhere."

"We're used itby now," Rick said. "Don't worry about us – go on."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded.

"Alright," Jena gritted her teeth and faced Through. She leaped forwards suddenly, chasing her agent and vanishing into the darkness.

The rest of them turned a corner to see a wide chasm in their path that stretched for approximately five meters. Jena, of course, had easily jumped across it without a second thought; but they weren't so fortunate in their abilities.

"I wonder how deep it is," Rick said, peering down. It was so dark that the bottom was lost.

"Well, only one way to find out," Jonathan said, preparing a spitball his in throat.

"Jonathan!" Evy scolded. "This is _not _scientific!"

Her brother swallowed loudly.

They heard several loud squeaks coming from the bottom.

"Rats! Hundreds of them!" Jonathan exclaimed.

"Friends of yours?" Rick asked with a grin.

Ardeth aimed his light towards the gap. "The walls are too smooth and wide," he said. "There appears no way to get across."

Heavy breathing came from behind them, and they turned to see a sea-green beast that was at least eight feet tall. His feet were hooves, and his ox-shaped head had two sharp horns coming out of it. Its chest was packed with muscle.

"What's _that?_" Jonathan asked, his voice unnaturally high pitched.

"A minotaur," Ardeth replied. "Half-man, half-bull."

Evy gasped. "I thought minotaurs were fictional."

"With all we've seen," Alex said, "I don't think we should be surprised at anything."

Ardeth drew one of his swords, and Rick his whip. The two of them charged at the beast, but it threw both of them away effortlessly and advanced on the other three.

Picking himself off the stone floor, Rick caught the monster's foot with the end of his whip. It took both him and the Medjai to pull him over, putting great strain on the leather.

"Move – now!" he shouted.

Jonathan and Alex edged past the minotaur, away from the gap, but when Evy tried to walk past it slammed one hand into the ground. She stopped in shock as it got to its feet again.

The monster beat the walls on either side of it with its fists, making the tunnels tremble. Evy, who was the only one between it and the chasm, took a few unbalanced steps until she slipped too close to the edge.

"Mom!" Alex gave a shout.

The minotaur turned and took a running leap at the gulf, grasping Evy as it did so. Once safely on the other side, it tossed her over its shoulder and ran down the passageway. They could hear her shouts echoing off the stone walls and grow quieter as she moved further away.

Rick took a running leap at the gap.

"Dad, no!" Alex cried. Ardeth took out one of his whips as the American jumped. He made an impressive distance; almost two thirds of the way across. Ardeth caught his ankle as he began to fall, causing him to swing back towards them and crash into the wall painfully before he was hauled back to safety.

"And people think _I'm _impulsive," Jonathan commented.

Alex concentrated fully on the Manacle, sending its energy to the wall beside the chasm. With great effort, he managed to partially pull out several bricks, giving them stepping stones to cross the gap.

He bent his knees and leaned on the floor when he was done, exhausted.

"Alex, are you all right?" Rick asked immediately.

He nodded. "I guess some things are harder to move than others," he replied.

Ardeth approached the crossing first. "Single file," he commanded everyone. "Remain as close to the wall as possible."

His back to the wall at all times, the Medjai stepped on the first stone. It was secure. Moving cautiously, he moved across the path sideways until he had successfully crossed.

The other three followed him. Jonathan lost his footing for a moment and partially slipped off before regaining his balance.

"Now I know how cheese must feel," he muttered to himself, his back pressed firmly against the wall.

#~#~#

The huge minotaur pushed a portion of the wall inwards, revealing a hidden chamber, and entered. Throwing Evy on the ground, it turned to seal the chamber.

Evy gave a cry as she hit the cold stone. "My family will come looking for me," she threatened the monster, just to assure herself that it would be okay.

Taking a run at him, she attempted to push past him as he was struggling to close the wall. Just by running into him she was forced backwards.

He advanced on her, and she backed away with every step he took while maintaining her in-control tone. "And when they do, you're going to be sorry. We've taken down creatures that make you look like a sock puppet!"

"Quiet!" the minotaur barked.

Evy covered her mouth as she gasped. "You can… talk?" she asked in shock. She hadn't expected that.

In the mean time, Jena was chasing after her agent. Every so often, the path would crumble into a gaping hole, but it didn't cause her any problems. Jumping over the gap was a simple matter.

On the other hand, catching Through seemed an impossible feat. She could easily sense where the agent was, but finding her in the labyrinth was a different matter. And when she _did _catch up with her, Through would smile and travel through the wall, ceiling or floor to another section of the maze.

For what seemed like the thousandth time, Jena pounced as Through sank down to the level below. She struck the ground sharply in frustration, then cringed as pain shot through her hand.

"Hey, Jump," she called out, opening a portal for the bunny to appear from.

_You know that summoning my physical form to communicate is unnecessary_, it informed her.

"I know that; I just need someone to bounce ideas off," she replied as they continued through the labyrinth.

_It's not a mental struggle. As with my trial, this is a test of physical ability and endurance_.

"I know, I know. But if I do just that I'll _never _catch Through."

_It's been a day since you began. It took you over a week for me. Do you expect to pass so easily?_

"Of course not." She felt the Manacle's presence, and intended on going to the place where Alex was to make sure everyone was alright. She was slightly worried about the monster, but nothing that gave her great concern. "I just thought it'd be easier now that I have someone helping me."

_None of the trials are going to be the same. Even if the goal is the same, the test itself is different_.

Jena looked at the stone walls. "_That's_ pretty obvious," she replied. "Your test was far easier."

#~#~#

The men reached a fork in the road.

"Lovely – now which way?" Jonathan asked with exasperation. He had had enough of the endless tunnels.

Alex aimed the Puzzle of Horus at each of the pathways and pointed at the right one, where the relic glowed the brightest. "This way," he said.

Rick immediately headed towards the tunnel, but Tut jumped out of Alex's shirt and darted into the left passageway before stopping and looking back.

"Tut, come back here!" the boy called to his pet, but the mongoose darted deeper into the burrow. "I think Tut has Mom's scent! He can lead us to her!"

"Are we _really_ going to trust some scrawny little rodent?" Jonathan demanded.

"We trust _you_, do we not?" Ardeth replied dryly.

Alex made to go down the left road, but his father stopped him.

"Hold up there, Sport," Rick said. "I need you and Ardeth to find the scrolls."

"But what about Mom?"

"I'll get your mother back."

So Alex took the right passageway with the Medjai, and soon Jena caught up with them.

"It's just you two?" she asked in confusion. "Where are the others?"

"The monster took Mom," the redhead explained, "And Dad and Uncle Jonathan went to save her. Tut's following her scent, and we're going to get the scrolls."

"Evy's been captured?" Jena echoed, worried. "What kind of monster is it?"

"A minotaur," Ardeth answered. "Half-bull, and with very great strength."

The arukatasu made an annoyed noise. "If I'd passed Through's test, finding them would be easy!"

"How's that going?"

"Not great." She turned to Jump, who was still beside her. "Can't I just form a contract with Through, so that I can save Evy?"

Jump shook its head. _The conditions for a contract are that you and the agent obey each other. There is no commander, and so they do not always come to your aid. Sometimes they refuse to, and sometimes they force you to commit acts to retain their abilities. You do not have their aid for other trials. Also, a contract is only established when both the arukatasu and the agent are convinced that passing the test would be impossible at that level. The trial is revisited when all other tests have been passed, and if you fail a second time the link to the agent is severed. Contracts are a last alternative_.

Jena sighed. "Well, _that's _no good," she said, thinking hard. Turning back to Alex and Ardeth, she said, "I'm going after Rick and Jonathan. I have to try and help. I'll see you later."

She hurried down the tunnel the way they had come.

_Do you still wish me to stay, or should I return? _Jump asked.

"I guess so," Jena replied, establishing a portal right where the wall stood.

That gave the girl an idea, and before her agent vanished into it she inquired, "Where do you go, when you're not in this world?"

_When I'm not in physical form I remain in my card. For lack of a better term, it's like a house to contain my energy. The card lives in a dimension higher than this one_.

She didn't even pretend to understand what that meant. "Can I go there?"

The pink bunny blinked, surprised but understanding her intention. _Technically, all you need to do is enter one of the portals your agents use. But it's not that simple. That form of space can't support your physical body, and it would rip you into pieces_.

"So there's _no _way to survive?"

Jump thought hard. _I suppose that if you covered your body with a layer of pure energy, nothing is stopping that aura from keeping you in one piece_.

It paused for a moment before continuing. _I shouldn't tell you this, but your mother attempted the same maneuver for one of her trials. Obviously, the journey to my dimension was non-fatal_.

Jena stopped moving down the passageway. "Tell me what to do!" she begged.

Her agent was serious. _It's very dangerous. Maintaining a safe aura around your body is only the beginning. You must have at least one agent on this side whose test you have passed just so that you can establish a portal back. As you have only passed one test, I would have to remain here_.

"You don't seem happy about that."

_I don't have the energy to retain a physical form, but would use your power. For you to leave this dimension you would have to give me the required amount, while keeping enough for your containing aura. I don't know how much energy you have – even to create a protective aura, never mind sustain it for several seconds. It may not be possible. Also, assuming you have enough for both tasks, giving me too much energy could destabilize my physical form and kill me. You wouldn't be able to return to this world. Through would likely die, as well, if she didn't realize what had happened quickly enough, because all your agents use you as an energy source. It's fine for us at home, but when we're on this side…_

That information made Jena hesitate. "I don't mind risking _my _life, but when it comes to you and Through…" she began.

_Our duty is to serve you_, Jump interrupted. _I'll die for you_.

The bunny's intention was so absolute and casual, it was almost humorous.

"Then… how should I go about this?"

_First create the aura. If you feel drained, stop before it kills you_.

She nodded, summoning energy from inside her body. She seemed to have plenty, but she didn't know how much she would need. Starting with a thin layer, she made her protective aura thicker until Jump stopped her.

_That should be strong enough. How do you feel?_

Actually, she didn't feel anything other than concentration on controlling pure energy. "Fine. What's next?"

_You need to channel a bit of energy to me. Not a lot – I only need enough to sustain a few seconds. Create the portal above you and jump upwards. On the other side you'll continue in that direction without losing speed. As soon as you're there, create another portal in your path that is located behind Through. Make sure you catch her, because I am unsure how many times I can handle remaining in this world without an energy source. Also, she'll catch on to your trick quickly_.

Jena nodded. "Alright, I think I've got everything. Here's some energy."

She detached a pale glowing orb from the aura around her. It was the approximate size of a tennis ball, or slightly smaller.

Jump nodded approvingly. _That should be the right amount. As soon as I take it, form the portal and go_.

The orb floated towards her agent and was absorbed. The bunny seemed to be distressed by it; its beady eyes widened suddenly and it collapsed onto the stone floor.

"Are you – "

_Go!_

"Right!" Jena created a portal directly overhead and jumped into it. She only hoped this worked.

Jump remained on the ground, the extensive energy it had absorbed causing it pain.

_That amount of energy in such a small space… if she gathered all the energy she possessed at once, she could probably destroy a small continent. What was Osiris thinking? To give someone like her the abilities of an arukatasu!_

#~#~#

"We didn't mean to trespass," Evy was explaining to the minotaur. "We're simply searching for some scrolls which we believe – "

"_I _am the guardian of the Scrolls of Thebes," the beast forcefully interrupted. "No one shall possess them."

"If you're the guardian then you should understand that only the scrolls can remove the Manacle of Osiris from my son's wrist."

"Your plight is of no concern to me."

"Then why did you save me?" the woman demanded.

"You're worthless to me dead," he answered. "I knew that even if they found the scrolls, they wouldn't leave without you. Which means they would have to go through _me_."

Suddenly the room shook from the force of a small explosion. Not far away, Ardeth had lit a stick of dynamite to clear a blockage in the path.

The minotaur dashed out of the chamber through another hidden door, pulling the rock closed behind him.

Still trapped in the same room, Evy began looking through some of the object scattered around. There were a few books, and a dark colored cloth was draped over something on the wall. She pulled it off to reveal a painting of a Medjai in Egypt, his sword drawn in an active pose.

Evy opened one of the books, thinking hard to herself. "Could the minotaur have been a Medjai?"

Alex and Ardeth were in a similar room. The Puzzle was glowing at full brightness now, and the Manacle was letting off light as well.

Inside the room, carved in the stone, was a ceiling-high vault with Egyptian-style engravings.

"Could this _really _be where the scrolls are hidden?" the 12-year old said, half in disbelief. They had been chasing the scrolls for so long, it didn't seem real that the search should come to an end. And in such a run-down tomb, no less.

There was an indent in the rock, shaped like a crest of armor. Alex looked at the glowing Puzzle in his hands and fit the relic into the space, turning it clockwise.

The section disappeared into the wall, leaving a hole about a foot in diameter. He put his hand in and withdrew a long, thin metal box. Opening it revealed a set of ancient scrolls, wrapped around two wooden sticks.

Ardeth lifted them out of the box, carefully opening them. The parchment was well preserved, and held together.

" 'By the power of Osiris'," he read, " 'Whomsoever shall possess these scrolls be avowed never to use them in the spirit of evil' – these are truly the Scrolls of Thebes!"

#~#~#

In another part of the maze, Rick and Jonathan were following Tut through the tunnels.

"Ever wonder why we don't get along?" Jonathan asked.

"Because we don't like each other and have nothing in common?"

"Well, we do have _something _in common," he objected. "We both love Evy and Alex."

"That's true," Rick conceded, but before he could say anything else Tut came running frantically back to them. Following him was five skeletal tomb guards, given life by Imhotep's knowledge of incantations.

Suddenly a small portal formed in the air in front of them, and Jena tumbled out of it. Her arms closed around something.

"I did it!" she cried. "I caught you!"

Through smiled – although she looked partially awestruck. "Did… did you just travel to my dimension and back?"

"Yeah. I got the idea when I created a portal right beside the wall – " she broke off as one of the skeletal warriors' hands closed on her shoulder. Spinning around, she stuck out one leg and tripped the guard so that it fell into a pile of sand. She made short work of the other four before turning back to her agent. "_Rude_," she muttered. "Interrupting."

"Well, then," Through said. "You've passed my test. There are no conditions to my service. Very impressive." She returned to her card, which floated into Jena's hand.

The arukatasu looked up at the two men, only now noticing their presence. "Oh, hey! Did you find Evy yet?"

"No – how did you know she was missing?" Rick asked.

"I ran into Alex and Ardeth. Now that I can use Through's ability, I can find her easier. I just have to do something first." Turning, the girl ran straight through the stone wall as if it wasn't there.

#~#~#

"We actually found the Scrolls of Thebes!" Alex repeated. He couldn't believe it.

Ardeth was quickly skimming through the incantation, preparing to read it aloud and finally remove the Manacle from the boy's wrist, when the minotaur entered the chamber suddenly and said in a booming voice, "Your celebration shall be short-lived!"

The monster took a few steps towards them and, acting quickly, Ardeth drew one of his swords and attacked. The creature deflected the blade using his metal shackles.

"We come in peace," the Medjai tried to explain.

The minotaur grasped his arm and threw him down. "And you shall leave in pieces," he replied.

They continued fighting, and Ardeth recognized the Medjai style in the beast's movements. The thought distracted him, causing him to be thrown into the vault. He landed painfully.

Alex clenched one fist. Using the Manacle, he picked up the fallen sword and hold it in midair, aiming it at the minotaur's heart.

"I'll only ask you once," he said, trying to sound threatening. "Where's my mother?"

"She's alive," the beast replied, turning his head to look at the redhead. "So it's you who possess the Manacle. You have a good understanding of it. Why do you seek the scrolls?"

"To take the Manacle off. There's a mummy who got resurrected and he's been chasing us for months because of this thing."

The minotaur reacted strongly when he heard there was a mummy. "Who is chasing the Manacle?" he demanded.

"A high priest called Imhotep," Alex answered in surprise.

"Imhotep… his treachery is legendary, even now. Very well; I will permit you to use the scrolls for that purpose. But once the Manacle is removed, you must leave it in _my _protection, along with the scrolls."

There didn't seem to be an alternative. The redhead nodded, wondering what both Evy and Jena would think of this bargain. "Alright. But I'm not giving it to you until my mom is safe."

The monster acknowledged the terms. "Very well. I'll take you to her now."

Alex cautiously lowered the sword, still wary, and returned it to the Medjai. Ardeth was getting up slowly, in a little pain, and the two of them followed the minotaur through the passageways.

"How did you become the guardian of the scrolls?" Ardeth asked the beast.

"The emperor Napoleon used his army to steal the scrolls from their protection in Kharga, but he was unaware of their true potential," he explained. "I was barely able to recover them, but it was then that I realized not even a Medjai could defend the scrolls. I needed to be transformed into the most powerful of beasts."

They weren't walking for very long, but when the minotaur opened the wall to the small chamber they were horrified to see that Imhotep and Weasler were already there with a company of skeletal warriors.

Imhotep's eyes gleamed when he saw what was tucked under Alex' arm. "The Scrolls of Thebes…" he grinned horribly.

As the Mummy advanced, Alex caught the biggest rock he could find in the Manacle's aura and threw it at him. Imhotep used his own energy to lift a stone as a defense before sending it in the redhead's direction. The minotaur blocked it, and the rock crumbled when it hit his chest.

Rick and Jonathan entered the chamber, running because they had heard the noise, and skeletal soldiers kept them from reaching Alex or Evy. Imhotep took a chain from the messy surroundings and wrapped it around the minotaur's torso, trapping his arms, and fused the two ends together before advancing on Alex. He caught the boy's arm so that he couldn't escape and ripped the scrolls out of his hand.

Letting the scrolls fall open, he began reading aloud from them to release the Manacle's hold. When he was finished, he would have both the Manacle of Osiris _and _the Scrolls of Thebes.

During this time, Jena had gone to make sure that Jump was okay. The bunny still hadn't moved from the place she left it, and she was worried.

"Should you go back?" she asked, carrying its small form through the passageways.

_Returning to my card is the best course of action, but I must remain on this side until the excess energy has dissipated._

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault."

_You couldn't have known how much energy I needed. I was only guessing the concentration of the piece you offered me. It was an accident_.

Jena heard the ruckus that was coming from the chamber. "Sounds like there's a fight."

_Then I'll go back to my card_, Jump said, and it glowed faintly before vanishing. The card remained, and instead of its usual pose on the front it was curled into a ball. Jena put the card in the pocket of her shorts and drew a zip across it so that Jump was safe.

Picking up the pace, she ran through the walls in the direction of the noise.

It was chaos. Weasler was wrestling with Evy – apparently they both had similar physical strength. Ardeth, Rick and Jonathan were all being kept busy by a dozen skeletal warriors. The minotaur was slowly breaking the chains that bound him, and Alex –

As soon as Jena saw the Manacle's glow and felt its hold on Alex being released, she acted. Taking a burning torch that was on the wall, she leaped across the room and set fire to the scrolls. The ancient parchment was dry, and the flames spread quickly. With a roar of anger, Imhotep dropped the burning scrolls and turned to the arsonist.

The arukatasu grinned. "I guess you won't get them after all," she said smugly.

Dropping Alex to the ground, the Mummy turned on the girl and caught her by the throat. Jena escaped his hold by using Through's ability.

The taste of death and rotting flesh passed right through her throat. It was as if she had actually swallowed part of a half-decomposed cadaver. Her stomach turned, repulsed, and as soon as she was free she retched.

Imhotep sent a deadly burst of energy towards her. Still vomiting, she didn't have time to escape it and was captured by it. The foul aura, combined with the putrid taste in her mouth, sent her over the edge and her eyes glowed blue.

She instantly dissipated the aura that was holding her, and also the energy that allowed the skeletal warriors to move. They all returned to dust in the space of a second – but she didn't stop. Sharp rocky pillars shot out of the ground and pounded into the ceiling, and water leaked into the chamber.

Gathering her family together, Evy said, "We must be under the river Seine. If the ceiling gives way, the entire passageway will flood!"

Jena was completely unaware of the impending disaster. Taking some of the pillars, she altered their shape and threw them at Imhotep to form a stone casing around his body. Then fire burst from one of her hands, molding the casing together. There was no airway; no room for movement. No way to survive.

With the Mummy immobilized, Jena's eyes returned to normal and she sank to her knees. The ceiling continued to crack as the river poured in at a faster and faster rate.

"Jena! Time to go!" Rick called to her. Everyone else had already run to escape.

The cold water licked her feet, and she hurried got up. Uncoordinated, she scrambled across the room and went with the American. The river chased them through the tunnels, and it seemed like forever before they were out on the street again in safety.

The sun was rising as they exited the labyrinth, and Jena thankfully collapsed into the ground. With all the energy she had used in the last half hour, she was completely exhausted.

"Are you alright?" Evy asked anxiously.

"Fine," she replied. "Sorry about that. And… I'm sorry I had to burn the scrolls."

"It is still a victory," Ardeth said. "Imhotep did not get them."

"Neither did _we_," Jonathan added with disappointment.

"I managed to pick this up," Evy interjected, holding up a scrap of parchment. "This is all that's left of the scrolls. Perhaps we'll be able to learn something from these bits and pieces, but I don't believe it will be enough to release the Manacle."

"You mean the lad has to go around with that thing clamped to his wrist forever?" Jonathan exclaimed.

Jena opened her mouth to speak, but Ardeth said something first. "That is a possibility. However, it is time we see the manacle as an asset, not a curse."

"That's true," the girl began. Again, the Medjai continued before she could go on.

"If the Mummy returns, he will hunt you again because of the Manacle."

"But how could he come back?" Alex asked. "He became a statue! There's no way he could escape from that, right Jena?"

The arukatasu sat up. "Sure, it'll hold him for a while," she replied. "But I can't guarantee how long. It could be centuries. It could be hours."

"But…" the redhead stammered. "I can't fight Imhotep alone! Even using the Manacle!"

"You will not be alone," Ardeth assured him. "Alex, you saved my life from the minotaur. I wish to repay that debt. I will teach you the ways of the Medjai."

Alex cheered up at that. "Me, a Medjai?" he exclaimed.

"The discipline and focus of the Medjai training will aid you in the mastery of the Manacle. We _must _be prepared for Imhotep's return."

Alex looked so excited at the thought of becoming a Medjai that Jena decided not to tell him she could remove the manacle – at least for the moment. Besides, if Imhotep broke free of his rock prison, she would rather know the bracelet was protected from him.

On the other hand, she had placed everyone in real danger by losing control of her powers. Accidents would happen, but she couldn't risk anyone else's life because of something she couldn't control. She hadn't been planning on staying with the O'Connells anyway, and this incident reaffirmed her decision. She had to go home and focus on her agent's trials. It shouldn't take her too long; her mother had passed ten tests in two years.

"It looks like we'll be saying goodbye," she said aloud, rising to her feet.

Evy looked surprised. "You're not going to keep traveling with us? Even if Alex is training, we'll be sure to go some interesting places with my work."

The girl shook her head. "My powers are too temperamental. I'm going to spend some time on them for a while – at least until the dangerous ones are over. I may take you up on your offer though, in a couple of years' time."

So they each went their separate ways. Evy and Rick returned to the mundane archeologist work, and Jonathan tagged along at times to avoid getting arrested. Alex went with Ardeth to Egypt to begin training, and Jena returned home.

The stone casing surrounding Imhotep held for a decent length of time, cutting him off from the world completely. However, it was a little more than three years later that the rock that had been molded to contain him began to crack…


	13. A New Beginning

Okay, season 2. I took a few "creative liberties" with this one. These liberties get more frequent ^_^

**A New Beginning  
**

"No one knows whether death, which people fear to be the greatest evil, may not be the greatest good." - Plato

Egypt

Alex panted heavily, his face half-covered in mud and sweat, and debated which choice to make. He was standing on a wooden platform that floated perilously in a fast-moving river, held in place by ropes, and to move forward to the next platform he had to decide whether to take the right one or the left. One would collapse under his weight, dropping him into the rapids.

"Here goes nothing," he said to himself, leaping onto one of the platforms. It held.

It had been over three years since the destruction of the Scrolls of Thebes, and now he was fifteen. Ardeth, true to his word, had been teaching him combat and the ways of the Medjai, and Alex had advanced quickly through the classes. However, sometimes lessons were a little _too _close to danger.

The teen looked to his next decision. Left – or right?

"Nothing like playing eenie-meanie-minie-moe for keeps. Okay, left!" He jumped onto the platform, then changed his mind. "No, right!"

Switching before he could fall, he landed in a state of unbalance on the right platform. This seemed to be the right one.

The platform gave way beneath his feet, throwing him into the rapids. Salty water splashing in his mouth and eyes, the current carried him away in an instant. He was knocked into rocks, pulled under the surface, and taken over to a waterfall before he could clear his vision and form some kind of plan.

He fell over the edge of the waterfall, and the din of water was replaced by air gushing past his ears. He fell for the longest second of his life before his dark snake-skin suit caught onto something, and he hung from his neck.

Clearing the water from his eyes, he looked up to see a staff supporting him in the air, held by his teacher. "Ardeth?"

Ardeth pulled him onto the rock that stuck out halfway down the waterfall, and dropped him on the ground. Coughing and spluttering, he asked, "How am I supposed to know which pillar every time? It's impossible – you can't win!"

"But that is the charge of the Medjai," Ardeth responded in a hard voice. "To defend against evil, succeeding against all odds."

"I guess going over a hundred-foot waterfall isn't exactly 'succeeding against all odds'."

"You were never in true danger," the man said, in a slightly gentler tone.

"Didn't feel that way to _me_," Alex muttered, standing up and trying to shake water out of his boots.

The pair returned to the platform path at the top of the waterfall, where four other students were waiting. One of them, the youngest, grinned sympathetically.

"Tough break," he said, flicking a strand of silvery hair out of his eyes. Jena's younger brother was in his class, and it was nice to at least have someone partially related to life before training. "I think the idea is to move on before you get a chance to be proved wrong."

"Alex' decision-making was his undoing," Ardeth said to all of them. "You must _never _give a second thought to your first instinct. Nothing is more valuable to a Medjai than instinct. Now, Alex, again."

The redhead looked up in shock. "You've got to be kidding me, right?"

The Medjai's face was like a statue. "I do not joke about training."

Sighing, Alex stood and faced the river again. "I thought things would get easier now that Imhotep's out of the picture."

The arukatasu home

Jena sat cross-legged on her bed, six cards in front on her. She was staring at them with a heavy frown, trying to figure out how she could pass her next test.

The last three years hadn't gone quite as she had hoped. After saying goodbye to the O'Connells in the Parisian streets, Dash had waited almost two months before issuing a trial. The small fox-like creature had begun a chase, like the other two before it, and it was so fast that it took nearly half a year before she got the idea of chasing it indoors. With the confinements of walls and ceilings, Dash was slowed enough for her to eventually catch it using Through's ability.

Power, as well, had allowed her a long time to recover before her trial. The test of strength was taxing, but eventually she met the agent's demands. Move was the next test, and with Dash's help it was relatively easy. Finally, she had taken the test of Libra. Unlike the other physical trials, Libra merely posed several questions and asked she use her intuition to determine whether the answer was true or false. Libra was a useful agent to have, because she told Jena things such as how to solve puzzles, if someone was lying, and what was going to happen in the future. Unfortunately, Libra wasn't an oracle. Her premonitions were vague, and few and far between. As an added setback, she wasn't allowed to interfere with Jena's tests.

Those four trials alone had taken two years to complete, and she had hoped to be nearly finished by then. Then came the most difficult: the test of Fly.

Fly's test was another chase, something she had gotten used to. However, the white phoenix hadn't had to move from its position in the sky more than once during the eight months that the test had been going on for. It hovered high in the air, just out of jumping distance, and taunted her silently. The one time it had had to dodge was when she had attempted the same move she had used to catch Through; by entering a portal to her agent's world and reappearing above Fly. Unfortunately, Fly had flown a few feet forwards and, with nothing to stop her, she had fallen to the ground and broken her leg in two places. She stopped being so reckless after that, but she still couldn't think of a way to catch it – after the months it took her leg to heal.

Her mother knocked on the bedroom door once and entered. "I thought you'd be here," Chione said. "You still haven't caught Fly?"

Jena shook her head. "I can't even think how I might do it, with only these six."

"Jena, you can't strain yourself too much. Remember what happened a few months ago."

The teen remembered all too well the pain her leg had been in. "Yeah, that was impulsive. But there _has _to be a way."

"I would help you, if I could," her mother said. Having the aid of sixteen of her agents and only one contract, Chione was still the most able out of the five of them. "But you know I can't interfere."

"I know," Jena sighed.

"Your father is going to visit Laith. I wondered if you might like to go with him. A break for a couple of days might do you good, and then you can get back to work. You could see your friend Alex, as well."

That thought cheered her up. She had visited Laith and Alex a couple of times, but not since Fly's test began. She had seen her brother when he returned home, but hadn't spoken to Alex for the better part of a year and a half.

"Maybe I will," she told her mother. "Sounds like a good idea. When is Papa going?"

England

"And as the mummy came alive," Weasler was explaining, sitting on the street with a table and a pile of comic books, "He knew he would be forever bound to serve his master; the legendary Egyptologist, adventurer and _bon vivant_, Colin Weasler."

"Yeah, right," replied the boy who was looking at the comics. "Everybody knows you can't control a mummy."

Weasler snatched the comic back, and as the boy walked away said to himself, "Some people simply can't appreciate fine art."

A cold wind blew, scattering the comic books off the table and onto the ground. As the man bent to pick them up, a tall figure overshadowed him and a foul smell filled his senses.

He looked up in fear, already knowing who he was going to see.

"M- M- Master?" he stammered as Imhotep took a few steps towards him. "I th- thought you were dead. I mean – _dead_, dead. Not half-dead."

"Silence!" the Mummy barked, catching the smaller man in a burst of his aura and throwing him into the stand containing all the comics. "I demand your assistance. Time is of the essence."

Picking himself off the ground, Weasler protested, "But the Scrolls of Thebes were destroyed."

"There are other means to gain the kingdom that is rightfully mine. And I shall not be denied."

The wind picked up, and a tornado carried them both to the Valley of the Kings. Weasler fell to the ground outside a temple, and dusted himself off as Imhotep strode into the vault.

"I had forgotten what a _pleasure _it is traveling via Mummy Express," he muttered to himself.

He watched in confusion as Imhotep broke open every sarcophagus he could find, throwing the bodies away after he had examined them.

"Looking for something, Master?" he asked hesitantly.

"Not some_thing_, you fool. Some_one_."

#~#~#

Alex laughed as Tut licked his face enthusiastically. His parents, accompanied by Jonathan, had been sent by the museum to investigate something in the Valley of the Kings, and had stopped at his training camp to say hello.

"It's good to see you, too, Tut," the teen said to his pet. Naturally, mongooses weren't permitted in the camp.

Tut sniffed skeptically at Laith, who was with Alex when his parents had arrived, and hopped over to him. Laith panicked, nearly dropping the animal, before catching him and holding him gingerly. He stared at the older boy, as if asking what he should do.

"You probably remind him of Jena," Alex said. "Why don't you pet him?"

"Um…" Laith looked from his friend to Tut and back again. "That's okay. You can have him back."

As the mongoose returned to his master, Alex said to his father, "Maybe I should go with you to check out the tombs."

"But what about your training?" Evy asked.

"You could… talk to Ardeth. Tell him that you need me."

"Alex," his father said sternly. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Yeah. Really good. Better than I thought. Whaddaya say, Dad?"

Rick gave in easily. "Okay, I'll talk to Ardeth."

Laith sighed. "You're so lucky to get a break," he said. "Papa hardly ever lets me go home to visit."

A stern, cold voice made the arukatasu freeze and cringe at the same time.

"_Laith!_"

The boy turned slowly. "Papa!"

Yue had a harsh expression. "We discussed your behavior now that you're eleven," he said, approaching his son.

"Ah – I'm sorry, Honored Father. I forget." Laith gave a small, stiff bow in greeting. "And Big Sis!"

Alex whipped his head around. "Jena?"

Jena grinned at him. "Hey! Long time no see, everyone!" She gave both him and her brother a friendly punch before smiling at Rick, Evy and Jonathan. "It's good to see you again – what are you doing in Egypt?"

"Work," Rick answered. "We're going to the Valley of the Kings to look into some trouble."

"Trouble?" she brightened at that. Maybe some excitement would do her good. "Sounds fun. Mind if I tag along?"

"Of course you can."

"Da-Jie," Laith said awkwardly. "Really? It could be dangerous."

Jena looked at him in disbelief. "Why don't _you _come?" she asked. "A little danger might make you more aware of the fact that no normal person would stand a chance against you."

The boy grinned apologetically – and maybe a little if relief. "I've got training."

"Actually, I agree with Jena," Yue stated. "You should gain experience in the outside world. You will go with her."

He looked horrified. "But P- Honored Father!" he protested.

"Are you arguing with my decision?"

Laith dropped his shoulders, beaten before he even started to fight. "No, Honored Father," he sighed.

And so the three O'Connells, plus Jonathan, Jena and Laith, left for the Valley of the Kings.

"Seven temples have been ransacked," Evy explained in confusion, standing among the rubble of shattered tombstones, "But nothing has been stolen. Nothing removed."

"This tomb is a foot thick of solid stone," Rick said, staring at the sarcophagus. "No human could have cracked this."

Jonathan shivered. "Please don't tell me there's a new mummy in town," he begged.

The two arukatasshu were wrinkling their noses. "Judging by the smell, there is nothing new about whatever did this," Laith said. "Although… it could just be the dead bodies."

"Can you hear that?" Jena asked, turning her head to the door.

"What is it?"

"Sounds like a riot outside."

They exited the temple to see workers sprinting in one direction as fast as they could. They were coming out of the same tomb.

"So _why _are we going towards whatever they were running from?" Laith asked a few minutes later, walking close to his sister in the dark pyramid. "Look at the hieroglyphics – they say 'Beware. Great evil is entombed within'."

Evy shone her light at the wall. "He's right," she said, and the group continued deeper within.

"Oh, by all means let's ignore _that_," Jonathan groaned.

Paying no attention, Jena spoke. "It's not just entombed. I sense the High Priest's presence here."

"Imhotep?" Rick exclaimed. "But you encased him in a pile of molten rock! How did he get out of that?"

"I _told _you it wouldn't hold him forever!"

They drew nearer to the inner chamber, and as they did so they heard the sounds of rock shattering. As they entered, the Mummy had just broken open a tomb and pulled out a sarcophagus made of gold. Serpents had been carved into it as decoration, and given small rubies as eyes.

Imhotep looked up. "You!" his eyes instantly zoned in on Jena. "I have yet to repay you for destroying the Scrolls of Thebes – and trapping me in rock!"

Jena made an amused noise while her brother cowered behind her. "You _really _want a rematch?" she asked.

"Nothing would please me more than to see you suffer at my own hands," he replied darkly. "But time does not allow."

Turning, he sent a burst of energy towards the tomb guards surrounding the sarcophagus. The four statues came to life, although they were different from Imhotep's usual troops. They weren't skeletal monsters, but their "flesh" was made out of living rock, and they each a held long metal spear. They made the usual skeletal soldiers look like puppies.

Backing away, Evy said, "Only the most dangerous mummies warranted that kind of protection."

"Don't _we _get all the lucky breaks," Alex muttered.

"Yeah, you have two arukatasshu to – " Jena broke off as she noticed her brother standing at the door, about to run out. "Laith!"

"You mean we _aren't _going to run from statues trying to kill us?"

Jonathan stood close to the boy and said to Jena, "I like your brother. He's smart."

As the guards advanced, Evy said, "We've got to find out who Imhotep took. It should be written on the casket."

"Well, there's four of them and six of us," Jena replied. "We'll keep them busy while you check – _whoa!_"

One of the statues threw its spear at her, and it narrowly missed her as she ducked.

"Da-Jie!"

"Stop worrying about me and start fighting!"

Evy slipped past the tomb guards and examined the cartouche. " 'Your death shall be eternal'," she read. More serpents were adorning the inscription, but any more information had been smashed by Imhotep when he opened the sarcophagus.

"Evy!" Jena called in warning, and the woman looked up in time to see one of the guards hold a boulder above its head. She dived out of the way as the stone came crashing down.

The blue-haired teen was using Power's ability and showing no mercy to the guard that was swinging its spear at her. First she snapped the staff with a quick chop, and then she punched its arms each time it attacked, making more of it crumble as time passed.

Laith, on the other hand, was using Dash and Jump to dodge one of the other guards. Another statue threw a spear towards him and his sister yelled at him to be careful, but the warning was unnecessary. The boy was completely aware of his surroundings and swatted it away like a fly.

"Lai, stop playing it safe," Jena scolded. "You're acting like you've never fought anyone before."

"I've never fought an actual battle before," Laith protested.

"Doesn't matter. It's no different from fighting Chase, or me, or anyone else."

"I lost all those fights!" he panicked. "Well, I beat you a couple of months ago, but I got lucky!"

Grabbing a couple of spears off the wall, Jena leaped to the spot beside her brother. "You really think I let you beat me?" she demanded, tossing him one of the staffs.

He fumbled before getting a firm hold of it. Staring at it for a moment, he eventually nodded. "Okay," he said, and he slammed the spear horizontally. It crashed into a tomb guard that was approaching him from behind, crumbling the rock and severing its legs from its torso.

Jena grinned, and she stood beside him. The pair of them struck identical poses, charging at one of the statues who was attacking Alex. With one stab, they each crumbled the figure's arms before moving to the next two.

"There's a booby trap on the ceiling!" Rick called to them.

"I know – we're trying to get them all underneath it," Jena replied. One of the monsters hit her shoulder, evoking a cry of pain followed by a cuss.

"Like _that's _possible," Laith muttered.

The two undamaged statues were both advancing towards the siblings, followed by the armless one. The flailing top half of the guard Laith had bisected was pulling itself along the floor, as well.

"Lai, think you can take care of this?"

"Wh- no way!" the boy answered vehemently.

Jena could hardly believe she was related to him. "Use Fire, you baby."

"My Fire isn't even that strong…" he began, but flames burst out of his hands. They circled around the statues, pushing them backwards into the desired spot.

"That's it," Jena stopped him. "Alex, set off the trap and make the cage fall."

"How can I do that?" the redhead responded from the other side of the room.

As the other teen used physical force to prevent the statues from leaving the space where the cane would fall, she answered, "Stand on a stone trigger, use the Manacle, throw something at the chain – I don't care!"

He couldn't see anything that the cage was connected to, so he decided to use the Manacle. Enveloping the booby trap in golden aura, he tugged on it in attempt to drag it down. It was securely connected to the ceiling, so he put all of his strength into the Manacle.

Seeing he was having difficulty, Laith threw a white hot flame at the chain connecting the cage to the ceiling. It wasn't enough to break it, but combined with the Manacle's power they severed the links. The trap came crashing to the floor, trapping the four guards and the two arukatasshu inside. Jena passed right through the bars before darting around the cage and pulling her brother out of a broken part. He hadn't passed Through's test.

"Well _done_, Alex, boy!" Jonathan congratulated, just before a part of the ceiling, weakened by the trap being pulled off, began collapsing on top of them.

Laith pulled a card out of a portal. "Shield!"

Nothing happened.

"Seriously?" he demanded in Chinese as he dodged the falling rocks. "You protect me during training when tiny stones are falling on me, but not _now?_"

"Alex!" Evy cried, running over to her son who was lying on the ground. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," the teen replied, picking himself up carefully. "I guess I need to be more careful when I use the Manacle."

"If Ardeth were here," Laith said, "He'd say something like 'your Medjai instincts are far more reliable than the manacle'."

"Yeah, right," Jena muttered. Her left hand was holding her t-shirt on the other side of her body, as if to keep it still, and her other hand was on her left shoulder. Pain was spreading over her face.

"_Da-Jie, fa_ _sheng shen me shi?_" Laith asked, running up to her anxiously. "Did your old wound open up?"

She nodded. "I think I pulled something out."

"You should go home and let Mama look at it…"

"No time for that. The High Priest was in a hurry for something. If he's that set on it, we have to stop him."

They all boarded the new Zephyr, and Laith directed them after Imhotep's presence. They were high in the clouds, flying over the some mountains in the middle of Turkey when they finally drew nearer to him.

"All those destroyed tombs," Evy pondered aloud as she put a sling around Jena's arm. "Imhotep was definitely searching for someone special."

From the helm, Rick asked, "Am I missing something? Even bandage-boy can't resurrect anyone without the Book of the Dead – and that was destroyed."

"Apparently there's more than one way to bring a skinned cat back to life."

"Uh… Big Sis?" Laith said nervously. "Can you feel that?"

"If you're talking about the energy presence that's been there for the last five minutes," Jena replied. "Yes."

"Do you recognize it?"

"No, but Libra says it's the Corona of Izima."

Evy pulled the ends of the sling in a knot suddenly, evoking a cry from the teen. "It can't be!" she exclaimed.

"Say what?" Jonathan asked. "The Corona of who-zima?"

"The Corona of Izima points to the Lake of Eternity," his sister explained. "According to legend, its waters can bring the dead back to life. But it only appears for twenty-four hours once every five thousand years."

"_That's _why Imhotep's been in such a hurry," Alex deduced.

"Lai, you can use Time, right?" Jena asked.

"It's only a contract…"

"Will he help you speed up the time period around the lake? If you do that, it should close early."

"Hang on." The boy blankly stared at nothing as he conversed his with agent. "Yeah. But I have to be a lot closer than _this_. And I don't think I have enough energy to shut it down completely."

"Well, why don't we try heading that Mummy off at the pass." Pressing a button, Rick brought out the Zephyr 2.0's increased speed, and they zoomed through the sky towards the Corona.

"So, Laith," Alex began. "When do I start learning those cool moves that you know?"

"Actually," the boy replied. "I learned that stuff in China. Ardeth teaches different combat."

"In China? When were you there?" he asked in surprise, remembering what had happened in China three years ago.

"Big Sis and I were there for a few years, right before – "

"_Shoti!_" Jena interrupted, approaching them with her left arm securely strapped to her body in a sling. "That's not a good story." Turning to the redhead, she told him, "The two of us lived in China for him to learn combat."

"Do they teach girls martial arts in China?" Alex asked, sensing it would be a bad idea to ask what had happened at the end of their stay.

"Nope," she replied. "One of the other students taught me in secret."

The Zephyr lurched suddenly, ending the conversation, and rocks flew through the windscreen. Imhotep had seen them, and was manipulating the mountains to attack them.

Rick quickly looked around for somewhere he could dock, and when he couldn't find anywhere he shouted a command to his brother-in-law. "Jonathan, time to earn your keep. Take the wheel."

"A- are you sure that's a good idea?" Jonathan cried, springing forward when the American let go of the helm.

"Yeah, it's a really bad one," Jena agreed.

"The rest of us will go down and try to stop Imhotep," his brother-in-law continued.

"What a grand plan," Jonathan decided. "I'll stay here."

"Big Sis, can I – " Laith began.

"You have a job to do, remember?" Jena interrupted.

"Oh, yeah…"

The five of them began climbing down the ladder, and Alex told Tut to stay in the Zephyr. When the mongoose saw who was steering, he panicked and hid under a tarp.

Jonathan saw. "Well, thanks for the vote of confidence," he said sarcastically.

On the ground, Imhotep was chucking rocks at them as they took shelter beneath a tall boulder. Then, realizing that time was running out, he created a strong wind around himself. The tornado dislodged the top of the golden casket, pulling in both the embalmed body and Weasler.

"Lai, you have to go," Jena told him. "Hurry down ahead of us and try to close the lake."

"But if he attacks me and I've used all my energy on Time…"

"I'll be right behind you," she promised. "I won't let him hurt you – _wo bao zheng_."

Laith hugged his sister quickly before vanishing from sight. He ran towards the lake so quickly that Alex couldn't even see where he was.

"We need to hurry as well," Evy said. Jonathan had gone on in the Zephyr, and it was out of sight.

"It's not very far down," Jena replied. "I'll run ahead to make sure Lai's okay."

Rick nodded. "We'll be down in a minute."

As they neared the lake they could see Imhotep approached the shoreline, a mummified body in his arms. Laith was standing at the water's edge, a faint red light emanating from his outstretched hands. His back was to the Mummy, and his concentration was wholly on his task that he was completely oblivious to the High Priest's presence.

Jena dashed to stand between Imhotep and her brother.

"You're not getting past me," she stated, holding her good arm out to block his path. Using Move's ability, she raised several rocks into the air and held them above her.

In response, Imhotep caught larger boulders in his aura and forced them towards her.

Jena used the rocks in her possession to block the attack, but it also blocked her view for a moment. In that split second, three things happened. The first was that the energy coming from Laith was suddenly cut off, causing the boy to crumple into a dead faint. The second thing to happen was that, while Jena had turned to her brother to see why she could no longer sense his presence, a small rock slipped through her defense and rammed forcefully into her stomach. She let out a cry of pain and fell to her knees.

The final thing to happen while her vision was obstructed was that Imhotep made full use of the opportunity. He leapt into the air and threw the body in his arms over Jena's head. With a splash, it landed in the lake.

Jena snapped her head around to the lake, where an incredibly strong presence was growing. When she had picked up the unconscious body of her brother she jumped backwards to stand with the O'Connells, who had just arrived at the water.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I should've thought that out better."

No one was paying attention. Imhotep strode up to the water's edge, an ugly expression of joy on his face.

"Arise, my love," he said as a whirlpool appeared the in lake where the body had fallen. "_Arise!_"

" 'My love'?" Evy echoed in confusion, then it dawned on her. "Of course! The vipers on the sarcophagus – she was a High Priestess. The most powerful and evil woman Egypt has ever known; Anck Su Namun."

A figure rose to the top of the whirlpool, and she became visible as the gushing water set her gently on the shoreline. Her clothes were lined with gold, and the material was the same color. Her expression was a mixture of confidence and cruelty; she reeked of danger.

"Imhotep," she said dejectedly as she walked towards him, placing one hand on his face. "You were once so handsome."

"You can thank _them _for that," Imhotep replied, using his head to indicate the group of onlookers.

"And I _shall!_" Anck declared, suddenly enraged, as she turned her wrath-filled eyes towards them. They thought it was fury, but as flames came bursting into the dry air, it was clear that the fire was _literally _blazing in them.

They all dashed to hide behind a nearby rock that was large enough to shelter them.

"Something tells me we didn't make a good first impression," Rick commented.

Jena was frantically attempting to revive her unconscious brother. "Come on, Lai! Wake up!" she cried, slapped his face a little. His skin felt like ice. "We need your Shield. Come on, you _have _to wake up!"

Anck was thrilled to draw breath, and she felt like exercising her power. "Awake, and destroy! _Kehdiigueh!_" she commanded the stone beneath their feet.

Sharp spikes drove themselves out of the ground, parting the earth like water to allow two enormous crabs made from solid rock to emerge.

"Jena, I know you're worried about your brother, but right now we could really use your help," Alex said quietly. He knew the four of them could handle Imhotep at half-strength, but his girlfriend was an entirely different matter.

"This might be a problem," she replied, "Because the only attacking ability I have, is Power."

They backed away from the danger, splitting into two groups. Jena, the body of Laith weighing her down, and Rick were subtly forced away from Evy and Alex by their enemies.

A small figure flew through the air, trapping Evy and Alex between two evils.

"Why should my pets have all the fun?" Anck smiled cruelly at her prey.

Looking around for some kind of weapon, Evy hurried a few feet to a patch of bamboo and broke off a stick that was about two meters in length.

"A challenge?" the priestess seemed amused. "It feels like an eternity since my last."

With a swift kick from one of her bare feet, Anck had broken a rod for herself. Before it could fall, her hand darted out and caught it. She brandished it as if it was a double-ended flaming sword.

As the two of them sparred, Alex occupied the stone crab. His father threw him a rope, which he lassoed onto one of its claws. Panting heavily, he ran around the freak of nature while pulling the rope as tightly as he could. It wasn't long before the monster tripped and crashed to the ground, landing near Laith's body.

Jena had had to set her brother to the side while the other crab boulder advanced on her and Rick. Seeing Alex' triumph, she stopped her attacks briefly to give him a sentence of praise before continuing. Using Power's ability, all she needed to do was hit the stone in various places. Wherever she punched, the rock crumbled until the crab was no longer mobile. Then she landed a down-cut on its head with her heel, shattering what was left.

The ground gave a sudden tremor. "It's closing!" Jena announced loudly.

Anck had just struck Evy's hand, making the English woman drop her bamboo, before striking her again mercilessly. Evy had tripped backwards, falling to the ground, when Imhotep intervened.

"It is time to leave," he stated, a restraining hand on the priestess's shoulder.

"Not until I finish what I started!" she snapped.

"Oh, we will, my love. This I promise. But not now."

Before she could respond, a tornado burst into the air and lifted both of them into its core. With a swish of wind, they picked up Weasler and vanished from the lake.

It seemed that, with the aid of Laith's Time, the twenty-four hours had finally expired. The middle of the water turned to a whirlpool, sucking in all the surroundings. Water, rocks, trees… everything was destroyed.

Jets of boiling water broke from the ground, shooting high into the air with terrifying force. The entire area surrounding the lake was being pulled and rotated towards the center point.

"It's moving too fast!" Rick yelled over the noise. They were all running towards safety, but were slipping backwards. Even Jena was having difficulty keeping up while struggling with her brother's body.

"We can use the geysers to get out," Alex shouted over the roar.

"We'll be cooked alive!" Evy protested.

"Not if we have a protective shell," he pointed at the stone crab he had taken down, the one that was still intact. Its shell would be the perfect shield.

Jena used Move to lift the boulder, using great exertion under the weight of it.

"How will you know where the geyser will appear?" Rick yelled.

"Libra will tell me," she replied with certainty, setting Laith on the rock. Dropping the stone on a certain place in the moving ground, she shouted, "Everybody on!"

Using Dash, she ran around everyone and pulled them to the crab. Just as she was about to jump on, her brother rolled off and began tumbling towards the center of the whirlpool.

"Laith!" Jena panicked, turning and running straight down the lake. She vaguely heard someone call out to her as they geyser erupted, sending the O'Connells shooting into the air, but ignored them in her haste. She caught up with Laith, and pulled him over her shoulder again.

The lake was being pulled faster and faster. Pushing Dash to its limits, she could barely keep up with the speed. It was a good thing her friends were safe, because they would instantly be pulled into the center.

_I need to be able to use _Fly! she thought in frustration.

With Jump, she managed to leap forwards, gaining some distance, but it was instantly lost when she hit the ground again. If only there was a part of the ground which didn't move…

Then the answer hit her. _Move_. That was the secret to passing Fly's test!

"Move!" she yelled out loud. Her agent lifted a loose boulder and held it in her path. With Jump, she leaped onto the rock and launched herself off of it, bringing another for her to land on to avoid the ground, and then another. In seconds she was clear of the lake and standing beside the O'Connells, and she knew how to pass Fly's test. She could do it right now, if she wanted.

"Is your brother okay?" Rick asked the girl as she set Laith on the ground. She felt for his pulse.

"I think he's okay," she announced. "He just used up too much energy on Time."

She sighed in relief. It was over, and everyone was okay. They had survived.

Suddenly the lake closed completely, sending one final shockwave through the earth. The stone crab, which had fallen vertically against the mountain, collapsed onto the ground without any warning. Everyone scrambled out of the way, but when they turned back Evy was caught underneath it. She was faintly moaning with pain.

"Evy!" Rick exclaimed.

"Mom!"

Everyone hurried to her side, and Jena quickly pushed the rock off her body with her good arm.

"I can't feel my legs," Evy murmured weakly. One of them was a bad shape.

"Evy, we'll get you to the Zephyr," Rick promised. "Everything'll be alright."

She relaxed on the ground, shaking her head. "I don't think… I'll make it," she said.

"Come on, Evy. You've never given up on me, and I'm not going to give up on you now."

Alex leaned against a rock to support his body. "This can't be happening," he said. "Not after all the close calls we've lived through."

Evy closed her eyes.

Jena felt her eyes welling. This _couldn't _be happening! For them to have all made it out of the lake unharmed – it just couldn't be that one of them would be taken at the last second!

Alex' eyes were filling with tears as well, and he glared at the relic on his wrist. "What _good _is this thing if it can't help my mom?" he demanded, punching the mountain. "Jena, can't you do anything?"

The arukatasu shook her head, already crying. "Even if I'd passed all the tests, even with all my powers, I can't bring back the dead," she replied. It was ironic; if Laith hadn't closed the lake, they could have used its water.

"She's gone," Rick said quietly. Jena hugged Alex tightly as she began to silently cry.

Jonathan appeared at that moment, Tut on his shoulders, and cheerfully greeted them. "That was an impressive flight you did!" he announced, climbing over the rocks. "Just in the nick of time, too. What a disappearing act that lake did. Well, here today, gone tomorrow."

"Jonathan…"

"Fortunately some of us know how to take advantage of a going-out-of-business sale."

"Jonathan!" Rick repeated sharply. In a softer voice, he added, "Evy… she didn't make it."

Jonathan's expression drained from his face. "What are you talking about?" he looked around the three of them, taking in their positions and expressions. "She can't be."

Alex pulled away from Jena suddenly. "Uncle Jonathan, your canteen!" he almost shouted. "What's inside it?"

He held up the liter-sized bottle. "Oh, just some of that water that was running into the Lake of Eternity," he answered dolefully. Then the situation dawned on him. "Of course! Jonathan Carnahan to the rescue!"

Rick almost snatched the canteen from his brother-in-law, unscrewing the lid and pouring a little of the water into Evy's mouth.

"Please work," he begged under his breath.

For a moment, nothing happened. Alex felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach with the realization that it didn't work. His mother was dead.

Evy's eyes fluttered. Slowly, they opened.

"Evy, you're alive!" Rick said in relief.

"Mom!" Alex threw his arms around her.

Jena let out a deep sigh of relief before saying, "Hey, let me see that bottle a minute."

Rick absently handed her the canteen, and she ran over to Laith and let him drink some of the water.

Jonathan, who hadn't watched his sister's death and wasn't as shaken as the other two, was the only one to notice.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "Is your brother all right?"

She nodded, closing the canteen and tossing it back to him. "I know he's not dead, but his skin is freezing and I can't feel any energy from him. The water can't do any harm, right?"

Helping Evy slowly to her feet, Rick said, "We thought we'd lost you."

"No," she replied in a stoic voice. "I have returned."

#~#~#

Anck and Weasler fell out of the tornado.

"_If_ you expect me to travel like that again, you are sadly mistaken," Anck informed Imhotep angrily, dusting sand from her arms.

"Make no mistake, my sweet," he replied. "Soon you will be traveling and living in the opulence you deserve."

"And how to you propose to do that?" Anck asked, standing close to him and grasping his cloak. All her anger had vanished in an instant.

"With the Scythe of Anubis," he answered. "You _do _remember its location, don't you?"

"Hmm," she sighed. "Perhaps. And you do remember how to release its seal?"

"Perhaps," was the reply.

"Without me you will never have what you desire most," she reminded him.

"Very true; for what I desire most _is _you," Imhotep said. "I will rule the world, and you will be my queen. With the power of the Scythe, an entire city can be laid to waste," Imhotep said. "And the first to suffer my wrath will be Cairo!"

"Annihilate Cairo," Anck said dreamily. "Destroy the city that destroyed me? How very thoughtful of you, my love."

Weasler rolled his eyes at the pair of them. "And I thought giving a woman chocolates and flowers was extravagant," he muttered to himself.

"So," Imhotep continued. "Where _exactly_ did you bury it, my queen?"

#~#~#

Jonathan was fiddling with the tuning, but could only pick up a lot of static. "Oh, is it too much to ask to just pick up just _one _decent jazz station on this radio?" he asked in exasperation.

Evy was pacing the floor impatiently, and her husband asked her if she should relax after her near-death experience.

"Relax?" she repeated, and her voice sounded off. "Not while Anck Su Namun is out there. I never trusted her!"

"Never?" Rick echoed in confusion. "Evy, you just met her."

In the next compartment Laith was resting on one of the bunks, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Shoti!" Jena exclaimed in relief. She babbled on in Chinese. "I was so worried about you. How are you feeling?"

"Completely drained," he replied weakly. "I guess I used up a lot of energy, closing the lake."

His sister didn't respond.

"_Did _it close?" Laith confirmed.

"Yeah, it did," Jena assured him, quietly adding, "Just… not for a few minutes."

"So the High Priest was able to resurrect that body."

"'Fraid so," she said. "There was a fight, but he and the Priestess ran as soon as the lake started closing. So you _did _save us."

"I'm glad," Laith sank down in the bunk and closed his eyes. "Da-Jie, did you give me something to drink?"

"Yeah, why?"

"There's a weird taste in my mouth."

"All I gave you was some of the water from the Lake of Eternity. If I hadn't, you'd be sleeping for days to recover all the energy you used."

"Can I have some normal water?"

Jena handed him a glass as he expressed his disgust.

"It tastes like sand," he informed her. "Cold wet sand."

When Jena returned to the main room there was static on the radio, followed by an SOS.

"This is Captain Andropolous of the _Olympia_." The next sentence was white noise. "We are under attack! Coordinates," white noise, "23 degrees latitude. Repeat, 37 decrees longitude, 23 degrees latitude."

There was a bellow over the radio, and the speakers hummed dangerously.

"I'd know that roar anywhere," Rick said, his voice filled with dread. "Imhotep."

Alex checked a map. "Those coordinates are in the Aegean," he said.

"I guess Imhotep and Anck aren't on a honeymoon cruise," his father said. "Changing course. Kicking in afterburners."

He turned on the new Zephyr's more powerful engines, and they sped through the skies.

Evy felt a strange pressure on her head, and a memory flashed into the front of her mind for a split second.

_Anck bowed respectfully. "It is an honor to be included in such an important mission, Princess."_

"I know what they're looking for," she announced. "The Scythe of Anubis – I _saw_ it."

"Saw it where?" Jena asked.

"Don't question me," she replied dismissively. "Just keep on course."

The arukatasu creased her brow thoughtfully, staring at Evy, before she spoke again. She remembered the story from when the woman had been teaching her Egyptian history and mythology a few years before. "The Pharaoh had a vision of Lord Osiris, telling him the temple where a sealed weapon should be hidden. Anck Su Namun and the Pharaoh's daughter, Princess Nefertiri, hid the Scythe to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. But neither of them knew how to unseal it. To them, it was just an old blade."

"But _Imhotep_ did," Evy interjected. "He planned on his beloved Anck leading him to the Scythe so that he could wield its incredible power. But their treason was discovered, and both were mummified."

She shook her head. "How did I know that?"

Alex gave an exclamation from the window. "The ship!" he cried.

"Alright, here's the plan," Rick began. "First we have to – "

Evy interrupted, rising and going over to the controls. "I have no time for plans," she dismissed, seizing the helm and driving the Zephyr directly towards the cargo ship.

Down on the deck, Imhotep noticed their arrival. With energy swirling in his hands, he shot it up to the sky.

The clouds instantly grew dark and heavy, closing together and beginning a lightning storm.

"Laith, are you strong enough to deal with this?" Jena asked her brother, ducking her head into the other room.

He nodded, getting out of bed slowly. "I think so."

She helped him walk through the blimp and sat him on the padded seats beside the window. Concentrating hard, Laith channeled his strength into Storm. Most of the clouds cleared, but a good part of the tempest remained when he half-collapsed again.

"Laith!" Jena caught him before he fell. "Don't push yourself."

"I'm okay," Laith replied, but his eyes were closing in exhaustion.

Rick took back the helm from his headstrong wife. "Evy, what's gotten into you?" he asked in confusion.

Thunder crashed, and a streak of lightening hit them. The Zephyr shuddered, falling towards the sea. The controls shut down just long enough to not be able to stop plummeting. When Rick had regained the use of the helm, he pulled back and tried to make the unavoidable collision into the sea as smooth as possible.

Evy grabbed a rope that was connected to a metal beam and leapt out the trapdoor on the base of the blimp. Without hesitation, she dived into the Aegean and began swimming strongly to the ship. Hauling herself up the side of the boat, she quickly tied the rope to the railings securely.

The Zephyr crashed onto the surface of the water, and Jena pulled the trapdoor closed as water sloshed in.

"Way to go, Mom!" Alex cheered after recovering from the jolt. They each began the climb down the rope to the ship, leaving Laith behind in the Zephyr.

Down on the ship, Anck commented to Imhotep, "I thought you were going to take care of them."

She jumped down to the level below, landing just in front of Evy. "Back for more punishment, are we?"

"I like to think of it as revenge," Evy retorted, her voice harsher than normal.

The two women circled each other savagely, their eyes never leaving the others. When Evy grabbed an oar off the wall, Anck ducked under her swing and rolled forward. She threw the English woman across the deck with a single strike.

The rest of Evy's family reached the boat as she tumbled across the deck, and Imhotep was watching from the door to the engine room. In a rage, he sent a fireball to the oil canisters that were on either side of them. They all ignited, setting fire to the deck which spread so quickly that they were surrounded by flames in an instant.

"Everyone, inside a duct," Evy commanded. "Now!"

They all ran for the two air ducts and split up in their haste, leaping down them as fire consumed the deck.

Jonathan, Alex and Jena fell a couple of levels before the chute stopped. Jena landed on her feet, having jumped greater distances, before using Move to slow the fall of the other two. An unfortunate handicap of Move is that her agent couldn't touch things that were alive or infused with Maho. Clothes and accessories, however, were an entirely different matter.

They were in a storage room, and Alex was about to say something when the arukatasu shushed him.

"The High Priest is coming," she mouthed.

Imhotep burst into the storage room, slamming the door against the wall and loudly announcing, "I know you are here!"

From their hiding place behind a group of oil cans, Jonathan whispered, "That Mummy really takes the fun out of hide and seek."

The two teens shushed him.

In anger, the high priest captured a few cans and threw them against the wall. The oil splashed all over the floor.

As he moved closer, Jena used Move to shift a couple of cans across the room. Falling for the ruse, Imhotep turned his back to them.

Motioning to the others, they all made a run for it. They might have escaped unnoticed, but Jonathan hit a can right beside the door, making a noise and alerting the Mummy.

"Run if you choose," Imhotep said, half to himself, as they disappeared. "But you shall not leave this ship alive."

Before leaving the room himself, he set fire to the oil so that the flames spread even faster. At this rate, the entire ship would burn in minutes.

#~#~#

Evy and Rick had jumped through another air duct, and they fell through the chute for only one floor before crashing in a heap.

"We _must_ stop the ship," Evy said, immediately getting up and walking down the hallway.

As she hurried through the ship's walkways, she heard Anck Su Namun's voice floating down the passage.

"_Come in to my web, said the spider to the fly_."

Rick was running after Evy, not paying attention to the surroundings as he tried to conceive a reason why she was acting this way. Behind him, pieces of metal drew together as if magnetized, forming a waist-high arachnid made from steel. As soon as it was whole it began a chase, alerting both the intruders to its presence.

"Run!" Rick shouted, sprinting away from it.

They didn't have to run far before they reached a door in the passageway. As soon as Rick was through he slammed it closed on the spider, but a steel leg got caught in it.

Hearing him struggling, Evy paused her chase to run back. Leaping onto the spider leg, she used her weight to sever the metal from the main body. Rick slammed the door and bolted it, but she didn't even pause before continuing her hunt for Anck.

"Evy. We need to – " Rick tried to halt her as she pushed through another metal door. When he went to follow her she let it slam in his face. "Ow."

"Evy, stop!" he shouted after his wife, running to catch up with her. "Listen to me. This leap-first, look-later stuff is going to get somebody hurt. You're not yourself; I'm taking you back to the Zephyr for your own good."

"I understand," she replied. Then she suddenly raised one leg and kicked his torso, throwing him across the corridor and into the wall. "However, I am not Evy."

As Rick recovered himself, the other three caught up with him. They had seen what had happened.

"What happened to Mom?" Alex asked, not believing what she had done.

"That's what I'm gonna find out," his father replied grimly.

In the control room, Weasler was anxiously looking out of the window. "We're going to crash," he said nervously.

"Precisely," Imhotep spared him a word, saying to Anck, "It is time for you and me to realize our destiny – and for the O'Connells to be buried at sea."

With a wave of one arm he destroyed all mechanical devices in the room before allowing a whirlwind to form around them. The three of them vanished out a broken window as Evy finally reached the ship's bow.

Evy ran to the edge. "I will have my revenge, Anck Su Namun," she shouted over the roar of the wind and the waves.

"Mom?" Alex caught up with her. "Your voice – you sound so different."

"Something was in the lake water," Jena said. "Laith said it tasted like cold, wet sand. Libra says that someone is possessing her body."

"Are you saying that Evy isn't Evy anymore?" Rick demanded.

"So if she's not Mom, then who is she?" Alex asked.

"Excuse me, but aren't those rocks coming up a tad rapidly?" Jonathan interjected before the arukatasu could shrug.

"We've got to get to the control room," Rick began, but flames Imhotep had ignited from all over the ship had finally caught up with them. If they didn't hit the rocks first, they'd be burned in less than a minute.

"Please, tell me there's a plan B!" Jonathan begged.

"I'm on it," Jena said, using Move to lift a loose wooden board off the deck. With the wood as a place to leap from, she made her way to the back of the ship to grasp the rope that was hanging from the Zephyr. The fire had burned the knot at the end of it, and now it was hanging in the water. Quickly moving the wooden board, she jumped off it to change her direction and headed back to the ship. Once at the bow, she tied the rope once again to the railings.

"Everybody hurry," Rick ordered, sending up first Evy, then Alex and Jonathan before he followed.

The deck was completely engulfed in flames, now, and Jena danced from one foot to the other as she waited for everyone to reach the Zephyr. When they finally had, she untied the rope and let it pull her away from the ship as Rick accelerated vertically.

She climbed into the blimp as they left the area, not sorry to go. Evy instructed them on where they should go in pursuit of Anck and Imhotep, and while they were going the arukatasu decided to take Fly's test. Now that she knew what to do to pass, it shouldn't take long.

#~#~#

"Where is the temple?" Imhotep demanded for the tenth time as they trekked through a humid jungle in Ethiopia. Weasler tailed behind them, getting caught on plants and branches.

"All good things come to those who wait," Anck chastened, moving some vines to reveal a ruin.

He immediately ran to the wall, which was completely intact. Moving his hands over the ancient stone, he looked for a trigger to open the door.

"But… where is…" Slamming his fists against the rock, he growled, "There is no opening!"

Anck pushed him back, away from the temple. "Perhaps I should have said, 'who wait patiently'."

With a burst of aura, she pulled a particular stone from the wall. The one above it fell into its place, then the one beside that one slid down, and the chain continued until the mechanism opened the door.

With a sickening smile, Imhotep followed her inside.

#~#~#

"Where is she taking us?" Alex whispered as they all followed Evy. Laith was with them, although he was still weak and not completely recovered.

They were walking through the forest, having parked the Zephyr, and Evy broke a vine off one of the trees to tie into her hair.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the ruin, the door still open and waiting for them.

"The Temple of Anubis, just as I remember it," Evy announced, her hand on the stone. "The Scythe is within its walls."

Jena, who had caught up with them after _finally _passing Fly's test, spoke. "Isn't your father is Pharaoh Ay of Akhmim, Princess?"

"Yes," she replied, "And now Anck Su Namun will pay for what she did to both of us."

"I am so confused," Jonathan said as Evy entered the temple.

"Princess Nefertiri – who hid the Scythe of Anubis with the priestess – it's her spirit that's taken Evy's body," Jena explained. "That's all I know at the moment."

"So how do we get Evy back?" Rick asked.

"I think the damage has to be undone," she answered. "As far as I can tell, if Anck is dead then the princess won't have any reason to stay."

As she said this, she was casually walking to the shrubbery beside the temple. When she was done talking, she knelt on the ground and retched into the bushes.

"_Ni hai hao ma?_" Laith asked, covering his nose to block the smell.

"Don't you recognize that energy?" his sister asked, wiping her mouth clean.

"I can sense the priest and the priestess, and two things that are really dim. I guess they do feel a little familiar. It's gross, but not gross enough to barf over."

"Disgusting," Jena wrinkled her nose. "I can't remember whose presence that is."

Inside, Anck triggered another mechanism by rotating a stone on the wall.

"This is what you have been waiting for," she said to Imhotep. An entire section of the wall opened, revealing a huge statue of Anubis holding a golden scythe. "The Scythe of Anubis."

"The perfect gift for the mummy who has everything," Weasler said, desperately trying to make his presence known.

Imhotep lifted the Scythe from its hold, saying, "May the Scythe burn bright with the power of Anubis!"

As he held the relic a seal on it was broken and it glowed brightly, displaying a deep purple-colored energy. Three thousand years and its power had not diminished.

"Deliver to me the Scythe, Imhotep!" Evy commanded from the entrance. Her family stood behind her.

Anck chuckled to herself. "Ah… Princess Nefertiri. Of course. Welcome back to the world of the living."

"At least _I_ came back for the right reasons!"

"Always the good girl. How boring."

"Look out!" Jena cried, leaping forward as Imhotep moved to attack Evy. She used Power to smack both hands away before kicking him backwards.

"Stones arise!" Anck sent bursts of aura into the ground. The entire floor rose up, each stone separating, and Evy was the only one who leaped over them as they began to lift. Everyone else turned and ran out of the chamber as the stones crashed into the entrance.

"The world is now ours!" Imhotep announced in triumph. "And you will forever be by my side as my queen."

"_Your_ queen?" Anck echoed distastefully. Now that she had the Scythe, and its seal was broken, she had no more use for an accomplice. "I will not be subservient to anyone, ever again!"

Two floor tiles caught both Imhotep and Weasler's feet in rock, and she shot them into the air. "I may have just been resurrected from the dead, but I was not born yesterday."

The stone containing Imhotep turned upside down, shaking him until he dropped the Scythe at her feet, before she threw him upwards and crashed him into the roof.

"Your Highness," Weasler began. "Might you need a dutiful servant? How about an amusing court jester?"

He was thrown sideways, and fortunately for him he managed to slide through a gap in the wall as the rock around his feet crumbled. They say idiots never die.

Evy tried to snatch the Scythe from Anck, and the two of them wrestled over it. The Priestess managed to overpower her, knocking her to the ground, but neither would release the relic.

As the two of them struggled over it, its power activated again. The huge statue's eyes glowed, and the entire temple shook as it came to life.

"What have you done?" Anck asked in panic.

Outside the room where the O'Connells were trapped, Jena gave a sudden gasp of horror, followed by an Egyptian word.

"_What?_" Laith whipped his head around to look at his sister. His expression was full of disbelief, and sheer terror.

"Someone, get Mama and Papa!" she said aloud to her agents.

"Da-Jie, shouldn't we run?" her brother asked anxiously.

"No – Evy's inside!" Jena replied, running over to the door. "We're stronger now; we can beat him!"

With the ability of Through, she entered the chamber where Evy and Anck were fighting over the Scythe.

"You need to drop it!" she screamed.

Purple, almost black light was shooting out of the Scythe, like a foul aura, and continued to feed the giant statue of Anubis. Slowly, the stone stepped forwards and another two arms became visible on his back. They each split in half, from the elbow first, and then parted fully so the monster had six arms.

Outside the room the O'Connells couldn't see what was happening.

"What did she say?" Jonathan asked in confusion.

"It sounded something like… 'person who destroys'," Alex attempted to translate with his rusty knowledge of the language. "But I don't think that's right."

"No, it _is_ right," Laith said hesitantly. His eyes were wide. "Anubis… was a name we gave The Destroyer."

Before anyone could make sense of his words, Yue, Chione and Mari appeared the in temple.

"Papa, Mama!" Laith exclaimed. "Mari, as well!"

Yue didn't even notice his son didn't address him properly. "Mari, take your brother somewhere safe," he ordered. "He's obviously used too much energy today."

The boy shook his head vigorously. "No, Papa! I'm not going until Da-Jie is safe!"

"Mari."

Mari didn't smile. "Yes, Papa."

Walking up to her twin brother, she stood behind him and hooked her arms around his to restrain them. They both had passed Power's test, but Laith seemed to be stronger. After a struggle for a few seconds, Mari spread her wings and floated a few inches off the ground. Without any kind of support, Laith was completely unable to avoid being dragged, kicking and screaming, out of the ruin. He never had a chance against his sister.

Rick tried to be of help. "Jena is in – " he began, moving to point to the blocked chamber.

"I know where my daughter is," the arukatasu leader interrupted curtly. "You humans would do well to stay back. While I have no authority to command you, this isn't your concern."

"But my mom's in there, too!" Alex protested.

Chione stepped up to the door, placing one hand on the stone. The next second, the rubble had all been cleared and the rock had formed an archway – only big enough to enter through.

Then they saw the statue of Anubis.

"Jena, your old wound!" Chione cried in alarm, leaping forwards and instantly establishing a powerful barrier around her daughter. Yue joined them inside it as Anubis took a step forwards. It bent down as one of its many hands grasped the Scythe and lifted it into the air, both women still holding onto it stubbornly.

"Mama, we have to get Evy out of here!" Jena said urgently. "This is way too dangerous for her!"

"Jena, this is too dangerous for _us_," Yue chastened harshly. "There's no mistaking this foul presence; it's definitely The Destroyer."

He caught sight of the relic in Anck's hand and inhaled sharply. "That Scythe… that's the original Scythe he wielded when he took control of Egypt!"

Jena was worried. "If that's a Korõkkutõsu weapon, how can we get rid of it?"

He exchanged a look with his wife, who instantly raised both her hands. Fire shot out of them, spreading all along the ground of the chamber.

Chione was muttering under her breath as her forehead creased in concentration. "Fire, burn everything outside of the Shield. Earth, melt the rock in this temple of flames. Please try and destroy that weapon…"

The entire room ablaze, Jena spread her wings and leaped out of her mother's barrier.

"Jena!" Yue attempted to grasp her arm, but she was quicker than him. She swooped over to Evy, using her good arm to lift the woman away from the Scythe and carried her over to Rick, Alex and Jonathan.

Chione instantly leaped back, accompanied by her husband, and established her barrier around the entire group without ceasing her elemental attack.

The great statue stepped boldly into the flames, sinking a little as the ground became soft with the heat. It shook the Scythe slowly in attempt to force Anck to release her grasp of it. She wouldn't relinquish it, but held onto it even tighter as the monster lifted the relic higher into the air.

"No!" she screamed in anger. "It is _mine!_"

Yue began using his own Fire in addition to his wife's. The entire ground was ablaze, and the temperature was rapidly rising and the flames grew higher and higher.

Chione made a discovery that made her smile in relief. "It's _not_ The Destroyer!" she announced gladly. "The statue is receiving its power from the Scythe, but it's ordinary stone!"

"Mama, then you can control it!" Jena said in relief.

Her mother nodded, extending her grasp to the rock that made up the giant and crumbling it. The rubble melted in the magma that was forming on the ground, and both Anck and the Scythe fell into it as well. The Priestess had plenty of time to escape, but refused to let go of the Scythe. And while she may have been powerful, she was not immortal. Her body burned in an instant, and Evy gave a faint moan.

"Mom!" Alex turned to her anxiously.

Evy touched her head, as if she was dizzy, and the vine in her hair fell to the ground.

"Alex?" she asked. Her voice seemed to be back to normal. "Where am I?"

"In the Temple of Anubis," he answered loudly over the noise. "It's okay, Mom, we're gonna get out of here."

"What happened to the Scythe?" Rick shouted over the roar of the flames.

"It's not melting," Chione replied through gritted teeth, feeling the powerful aura through the earth. "It contains too much energy, which is protecting it."

Yue frowned, ceasing his flames. "There's nothing we can do," he stated. "Not without _that_ agent's help. Nothing."

"That's true," his wife agreed reluctantly, also stopping her fire. "Then, wouldn't it be best to encase it in rock, until one of us passes the test?"

"That would be the best action. Either way, we have to leave before either The Destroyer or his apprentice comes to investigate the disturbance."

Chione used another element to create a wave of water and cooled the chamber in an instant. Alex shivered in the sudden temperature change, and then it was over.

"We must leave, now," Yue commanded.

#~#~#

The Zephyr was unusually crowded as it flew towards Egypt to take Alex back to the Medjai camp.

Laith yawned drowsily, leaning his head on Mari's shoulder. She didn't look happy at the arrangement at all, but there wasn't anything she could do. Chione had given her son some powder mixed with water that would help him recover the energy he used on Time, but it made him feel like he hadn't slept in a month. Then, before he could go into the small room with the beds, Chione and taken Jena into its privacy to look at the teen's injured arm. Everyone heard squeals of pain and protest as she worked.

Yue refused to sit, but stood stiffly looking out a window and impatiently tapped one finger against his crossed arms. Anyone who spoke to him received an icy glare.

At length, Jena emerged from the bunkroom while rotating her left arm in wide circles. It seemed to be completely healed.

"How do you feel?" she asked Evy as Laith dragged himself into one of the beds.

"I'm fine," the woman replied. "To be honest, I don't remember much of what happened."

"I'm still not even sure what _did _happen," Rick said from the helm, looking at Jena. She flushed and wouldn't meet his eyes.

"A long time ago we encountered someone who was known as The Destroyer," she tried to gloss over quickly. "I recognized his presence in the temple, coming from the Scythe, but I was a child back then and I couldn't remember where from. When I did, I panicked."

Alex spoke to her. "Thanks for not leaving Mom trapped in there."

"Of course I wasn't going to do that."

"But why did the spirit of Princess who-ever-it-was take Evy's body in the first place?" Jonathan asked.

For some reason, the four of them looked at Jena.

"I don't know the answer!" she denied.

"Libra seems to have been telling you a lot of useful things," Rick commented.

"Libra's not an oracle," she replied. "She tells me a few useful things every now and again, but she doesn't know everything. Some things she _can't _know."

"So you have no idea?" Alex asked.

The arukatasu shrugged. "The best guess I can make is that, since the priestess's life was recovered, something had to be done to balance it. It's the same as the Chinese idea of as Yin and Yang."

"And when Anck burned in the flames, Princess Nefertiri's spirit left Evy," Rick finished.

Chione appeared after making sure Laith was alright. She looked exhausted, after using three elements at once – and then Create to fix Jena's arm.

"We should go ahead," Yue said quietly, not turning away from the window.

"Laith needs rest, and I don't want to leave him just yet," his wife replied. "My Shield is around this airship, which will prevent anyone from sensing us. You worry too much, Umar."

"My _worrying_ is what has kept us alive," he informed her in a louder voice, looking at her. "Apparently all for nothing, as Jena so recklessly places us in danger time and again."

When Jena opened her mouth to defend herself, he cut her off. "You had an opportunity to take that woman," he glanced for half a second at Evy, "and leave the temple. But no, you stayed. Even if you didn't know Anubis' presence, you did recognize Young's. You should have run at the first moment."

He spoke in Egyptian, and his voice was so harsh and so fast that only his family could understand.

Jena hung her head. "Sorry, Papa."

Trying to shift blame off her daughter, Chione asked her, "So you passed Fly's test?"

She had never loved her mother more than in that moment.

"Yes, finally. It's been eight _months _and I can't believe I didn't think of using Move and Jump!"

Mari carelessly let out a smirk. She looked a little smug, as it had only taken _her _two and a half months to catch Fly.

"My test was different, but I saw what you could do quickly. It was _torture _not to tell you."

"I wouldn't even have thought of it if I hadn't been running out of the Lake of Eternity." She paused thoughtfully. "Maybe it's better to be active to get used to using my agents."

Alex felt his heart thudding at what Jena was saying. Would she travel with them again? Would he be able to see her more often?

"Evy, would you mind if I tag along with you on your job?"

Evy smiled. "We're always glad to see you, Jena. Of course you can." Then she looked uncertainly at Chione. "I hope you don't feel like we're stealing her?"

Chione smiled. "Jena is right; it's better for her to gain experience for passing her tests. At least there are no undead priestesses – or priests – chasing you."

No one met her eyes. Jena couldn't believe she _still _didn't know about Imhotep.

The teen punched Alex' arm. "Looks like I'll see you around."

"Yeah," he tried to hide his smile. Even though he would be in Egypt training while she was with his parents, Imhotep was back. He would go with his parents frequently to fight the Mummy; he had the Manacle of Osiris, so he had to.

He never thought he'd be so pleased for the Mummy to return.

#~#~#

Chase Young stood in the Temple of Anubis, one knee on the ground and one arm resting on the other. His free hand was on the floor where the Scythe of Anubis had been encased.

A man with long brown hair and camel-hide robes entered the temple and knelt into a formal bow without saying anything.

Chase stood up and felt the air in the chamber. Residual energy had been left by the arukatasshu who had exerted a great power, as well as the burning aura of the unsealed Scythe that was ever-present.

"Do you remember this place?" he asked the bowing servant.

The servant tensed, but didn't reply.

"Do you remember I ordered you to build it with your own hands?"

Forced to respond, the servant let out a tense, "Yes, master."

Chase smiled cruelly. "And do you recognize the residual energy left in this room?"

"Yes, master."

"I suppose you're pleased to find that your old friends are still alive."

"Yes, master."

Done mocking the slave, Chase hit the ground with his fist suddenly and shattered the rock throughout the floor. The Scythe was exposed for him to take. "Don't worry; it wasn't any of them who broke the seal on this instrument. Of course they wouldn't be so careless."

No longer paying attention to his servant, he frowned at the relic in his hands. He didn't recognize the energy of whoever had unleashed Anubis' power; was it a new minion? Or was it someone who had just happened upon the temple and unsealed the Scythe in an act of foolishness?

Either way, he would do well to check that none of The Destroyer's other original weapons had been disturbed, and to find better hiding places for them. If any of them were stolen, there would be hell to pay.

He turned and walked casually towards the exit, carrying the Scythe over his shoulder and passing his still-bowing servant.

"The effort you put into this temple is appreciated, Osiris," Chase said indifferently. "Tear it down."

When his master had gone, the former pharaoh rose to his feet and, as ordered, began to destroy what was left of the ruin.


End file.
